Toum -- Lebanese Garlic Sauce

Still working out the kinks on my new "format" so bare with me as a figure out how much I can handle on my plate. As promised last week with my Garlic Spotlight; here is a garlic centric recipe!

 

Origin: while associated with Lebanon in mpst recipes more accurately it comes from the Levant or present day Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Israel, Palestine and most of Turkey. AKA Salsat Toum and Toumya

Ingredients
all link on ingredients are to the ingredient spotlight posts of this blog

4 cloves garlic
4 tbsp oil (olive or something with mild taste like canola)
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tbsp lemon juice

Tools
measuring implements
mortar and pestle (you can use a food processor)

Recipe
She's a simple one

Peel your four cloves of garlic. Cut them in half and remove the germ (the little green bit that is separate from the rest of the clove.) 

Place the germless cloves in your mortar with a generous teaspoon of salt and grind away until it become a paste. You can also slice your cloves (across not lengthwise) to get this process started. I do find my garlic to be a little stringy sometimes (but its probably just from laziness! haha)

Once the cloves are pulverized begin adding your oil in very small amounts (1 tsp at a time, or so) slowly working it into the mixture until it won't take anymore. The garlic acts as an emulsifier and that's what gives the sauce its texture and consistency. 

Once the concoction can take no more oil add in your lemon juice and serve.

You can keep this mixture in the fridge for a few days but it will separate. It's definitely best served right away.

Serving

Best served with grilled chicken dishes but also popular to be served along side hummus and tabbouleh (and at my house tzatziki even though were starting to mix cuisines) with flat bread (naan is usually my go to but pita is common.)

My absolute favourite way to serve toum though is with roasted potatoes. If you've ever been to a shawarma shop you know what kind of heaven this is. 

This garlic sauce really is a good universal condiment though great for dipping fries, veggies or pizza crust and an amazing addition to sandwiches and wraps especially where poultry or falafel can be found. 

Short and Gritty

Because this was so short I don't think you need me today!