Toum (Lebanese Garlic Sauce)
Toum is an intensely flavorful and creamy Lebanese garlic sauce, achieved through a slow emulsification process. It's a staple accompaniment, particularly beloved with grilled meats and chicken.
🧂 Ingredients
- 100 g Garlic cloves
- 400 ml Neutral oil
- 60 ml Fresh lemon juice
- 1 tsp Salt
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Prepare the garlic paste: Add the peeled garlic cloves and salt to the bowl of a food processor or a high-powered blender. Process until the garlic is finely minced and begins to form a paste. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. This should take about 1-2 minutes.
⏱️ 3 minutes - 2
Begin emulsification: With the food processor or blender running on low speed, start adding the neutral oil in a *very* slow, thin, steady stream. This is the most critical step. The mixture will begin to thicken and turn pale. Continue adding oil very slowly until the mixture is thick and creamy, resembling mayonnaise. This process can take 10-15 minutes.
⏱️ 15 minutes - 3
Incorporate lemon juice: Once the emulsion is stable and thick, gradually add the strained lemon juice while the processor continues to run. The toum may lighten in color further and become even fluffier. Blend until fully incorporated and the desired consistency is reached. If it seems too thick, you can add a tablespoon of water or more lemon juice.
⏱️ 2 minutes - 4
Final check and storage: The toum should be thick, fluffy, white, and intensely garlicky. Taste and adjust salt if necessary. Transfer the toum to an airtight container. It will continue to thicken slightly as it chills. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving to allow flavors to meld and for it to firm up.
⏱️ 1 minute
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓The key to successful toum is the slow addition of oil. If added too quickly, the emulsion will break, resulting in an oily, separated sauce.
- ✓If your toum breaks (separates), don't despair! You can often fix it by starting with a fresh egg yolk (or a tablespoon of plain yogurt) in a clean bowl and slowly drizzling the broken mixture into it while blending, just as you did with the oil.
- ✓The final texture should be light and airy, similar to whipped cream or mayonnaise.
- ✓Toum is potent! The garlic flavor is very strong, which is its signature characteristic.
- ✓Ensure all equipment (blender/food processor, spatula) is clean and dry, as any moisture can interfere with emulsification.
🔄 Variations
- For a slightly more stable emulsion, some recipes include an egg white, whisked in at the end or blended with the initial garlic. However, this is not traditional.
- Adjust the garlic-to-oil ratio for a milder or more intense garlic flavor.