Thoom – Arabic Garlic Sauce

Thoom - Arabic Garlic Sauce

This is that magical white garlic sauce served all over the Middle East in one form or another. Thousands of my felow ex-expats know it as it comes with wonderful Saudi broasted chicken (like Al-Baik). In some countries this sauce is almost mayonaissey, and in others it is a more flow-ey sauce. I like the stiff version, but it is more time consuming as it's harder to blend.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup canola oil
  • 1 head garlic cleaned
  • 1 egg white
  • lemon juice
  • salt

Instructions

  1. Use a blender as the well on a food processor is too big for this. Try a wand blender, I havent, but if you have a strong one, I bet it's just the ticket.
  2. Drop into the blender: cleaned garlic, egg-white and a few teaspoons oil. Blend and add remaining oil by the teaspoon whilst continually blending. Expect to spend a little time now, dribbling in the canola oil (don't break the sauce!).
  3. You are creating an emulsion, like mayonaisse. Make it as stiff or as relaxed as you like, but if you add oil or lemon too much at a time, it'll 'break'. I like to keep this quite stiff as I use it like mayo. It is far harder to blend that way though.
  4. If the emulsion is too thick to blend, dilute it with the lemon-juice and later w/ water (when you have the level of flavor you want from the lemon but you want to thin the sauce).
  5. When most of the oil is emulsified, salt to taste.
  6. I have seen americanized versions of this sauce calling for everything from yoghurt to mashed potatoes(!) You not need a dairy product in this! Or potatoes, lol!
  7. Made this way, this will keep a long time, like mayo. If it's too garlicky for you, add another 1/2 C oil like you did the first cup. This is the real deal, promise!

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