Toum (Lebanese Garlic Sauce)
Toum or thoum is a garlic sauce used in Lebanon. The method below is the traditional way toum is prepared in most parts of Lebanon.
Servings
1 cup
10–40 g fresh, peeled garlic (less for a milder thoum, more for a stronger one)
¾ cup olive oil
1 lemon, juiced and strained
¼–½ tsp salt
Use a pestle (traditionally wooden) to smash the garlic with salt until very smooth; you can add the salt at the beginning or after the garlic is well smashed.Wooden mortar used to prepare toum
Gradually mix in the oil—start by adding one drop at a time and stirring the oil into the garlic with the pestle. After you've added about 1 tbsp of oil and it's been well incorporated, you can drizzle the oil in rather than adding it drop by drop. After half of the oil is added, alternate a bit of lemon juice with a bit of oil. Don't stop for long while mixing; it's necessary to keep stirring, stopping only for very brief periods. When finished the toum will have a similar consistency to thick mayonnaise.
- •You can also crush the garlic and salt to a very smooth paste and then use a blender or food processor to incorporate the oil and lemon juice.
- •The pH of some olive oils can promote breaking of the emulsion.
- •In Lebanon the pestle used is usually wooden; some new one are made of synthetic materials; occasionally you'll see one carved of stone. Carved stone pestles are usually used for kebbeh nayyeh.