Toum

Peel all the garlic cloves. Halve each clove lengthwise and use the tip of a paring knife to remove the green germ running through the centre — this is the most important step in making toum that doesn't taste bitter or leave a harsh aftertaste. The germ contains sulfurous compounds that intensify acridly when processed at high speed. Some cooks skip this step; your toum will still emulsify but will taste sharper and more aggressive. Spread the halved cloves on a clean, dry surface.

Place the garlic halves and salt in a food processor. Process for 30 seconds, scraping down the sides every 10 seconds, until the garlic is very finely minced and beginning to form a coarse paste. The salt acts as an abrasive and helps break down the cellular structure before the oil is added. The garlic should look like a fine, wet, slightly sticky mince — not a smooth paste yet, but uniformly broken down. Ensure the bowl and blade are completely dry before this step.

With the food processor running, begin adding the oil in an absolutely tiny stream — a thin trickle, not a pour. Alternate between oil and lemon juice every 30 to 45 seconds, adding ice water when the emulsion looks tight or is struggling to absorb more oil. The total process takes 8 to 12 minutes of continuous processing. The garlic's natural alliinase and stabilising compounds form the emulsifying matrix — there is no egg, no mustard. The emulsion is fragile and temperature-sensitive: keep it cold by working quickly and using ice water. If the mixture looks greasy or separated at any point, stop adding oil and process on while adding a tablespoon of ice water.

Taste the toum and adjust with more lemon juice or salt. The garlic bite should be fierce but not acrid — the emulsification process changes the character of the garlic, making it simultaneously more intense in flavour and somehow less sharp on the palate than raw garlic eaten directly. The lemon should be present as a brightness, not a sourness. Transfer to a clean glass jar. The toum keeps in the refrigerator for up to 4 weeks and remains stable — the cold causes it to firm slightly further, to the consistency of soft lard.