Toum (Lebanese Garlic Sauce)

5 from 3 votes

Toum (Lebanese Garlic Sauce)

The essence of garlic, Toum is a fluffy Lebanese mayonnaise that is the PERFECT accompaniment to meats, fish and vegetables. It's revered, and for good reason - learn how to make magic happen with garlic and oil.

Prep Time30 mins

Total Time30 mins

Course: Condiment

Cuisine: Lebanese, Middle Eastern

Servings: 1 tbsp serves

Calories: 116kcal

Author: Lee

Ingredients

2 bulbs garlic (peeled, halved lengthways and centre 'germ' removed).
2 tsp Kosher salt (or Maldon salt) (or 1 tsp table salt)
1 lemon (juice of)
2 cups grapeseed oil
1 cup extra virgin olive oil

Instructions

Split up the garlic and peel the cloves and cut off the woody end.
Using a small paring knife, split each clove or garlic in half, lengthways and remove the ‘germ’ from the centre. The germ is a small shoot inside. It sometimes appears a little green, but generally not so just look in the centre and lever it out with the tip of the knife (see picture above for details).
Once you’ve removed all the germs, discard and place the garlic into a food processor along with the salt.
Blend the garlic until it forms a paste, you’ll need to use a spatula once or twice to scrape the garlic from the sides. When it’s smooth you can begin to very slowly drizzle in about 1/4 cup of the oil with the motor still running.
The garlic will start to emulsify and take on a creamier appearance. After 1/4 cup of oil, with the motor still running, squeeze in the juice of 1/2 the lemon and then a slow stream of of oil (about 1/2 cup).
It’s important to take this stage slowly to help create a stable emulsification. If you add oil too quickly, it will split and may not be salvageable.
With the motor still running, you can now begin to gradually and slowly pour in the rest of the oil. After about half has been added, add the second half of the lemon juice and then the remaining oil. The toum should now be a fluffy, creamy texture and white in appearance.
The oil you use will affect the colour slightly, so if your oil is green or yellow, you may not have a completely white colour, which is fine!

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