Lebanese Toum

Ingredients

1 cup garlic cloves

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1/4 cup (60g) fresh lemon juice and a pinch of lemon zest

1/4 cup cold water

3 cups oil, I use grapeseed

Note: you can add a few mint leaves if desired.

How The Alchemy Happen

Place the garlic and kosher salt in the bowl of a food processor.

Pulse garlic in short bursts until finely minced.

occasionally removing the lid to scrape down the sides of the bowl with a flexible rubber spatula.

Add 1 tablespoon lemon juice and continue processing until a paste begins to form.

Add the rest of the lemon juice and process until completely smooth and slightly fluffy.

With the food processor going, slowly drizzle in 1 cup oil in a very thin stream, as if making mayonnaise. Add 1 tablespoon water.

Continue processing, alternating 1/2 cup oil and 1 tablespoon water, until all the oil and water have been incorporated. 

Be careful when adding the liquids as the emulsion can break, if it does, save this batch for cooking and start over from scratch.