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Toum
Toum: whipped Lebanese garlic sauce, fluffy and snow-white
Every shawarma and grill shop in Lebanon has a tub of toum, a fluffy, snow-white emulsion of garlic, lemon and neutral oil that tastes fiercely of fresh garlic. At home it is spread on roast potatoes, stirred into grilled vegetables, dabbed on falafel wraps and served with batata harra. It contains no egg: the garlic itself holds the emulsion, so the only trick is patience while the oil goes in. Chef's tip: halve each garlic clove and pull out any green shoot; the germ makes toum bitter and harsh.
- Total time
- 15 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 12
Ingredients
Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Put 2 ⅛ oz garlic cloves and 1 tsp salt in a small food processor and blitz for 1 minute, scraping down the sides, until it is a fine, sticky paste.
1 minStep 2: With the motor running, add 1 tablespoon of the 1 tbsp lemon juice and blend for 30 seconds.
Step 3: Still running, pour in 1 ½ cups neutral oil (sunflower or rapeseed) a thin trickle at a time, about 1 tablespoon every 15 seconds for the first quarter. The paste should turn pale and thicken. The most common mistake is pouring too fast: the sauce splits into a greasy liquid.
3 minStep 4: Keep alternating: add a quarter of the oil in a thin stream, then a splash of the remaining 3 tbsp lemon juice and 2 tbsp ice-cold water, until all are used. The toum should be white, glossy and thick enough to hold a peak.
8 minStep 5: Spoon into a clean jar, lay a piece of baking paper on the surface and chill. The bite mellows after a day; it keeps for up to 4 weeks in the fridge.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 250 kcal
- Protein
- 0 g
- Carbs
- 2 g
- Fat
- 27 g
- Fibre
- 0 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does toum take?
- About 15 minutes in total.
- How many people does it serve?
- 12 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of garlic cloves?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
- What can I use instead of lemon juice?
- Lime juice, same amount.
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