Lebanese Garlic Sauce

Me being a big Integrated Media geek, I get subtle things that others at my station just don't get.

One of those things is that if the month has been slow on the KCET Website, we get desperate. One of the things that usually happens is that they have a pow wow and figure out what pages have been a success in the past and then they choose some of them (or all of them) and they throw them up onto their social media sites, hoping to drive hits onto their main website.

One of the tried and true webpages that always is a big hit, when we bring it back, is this simple recipe for Lebanese Garlic Sauce.

L.A. has a restaurant "chain" called Zankou Chicken. The first one opened in East Hollywood (not far from the old KCET lot) and I went there one time, for take-out. The food was good, but the neighborhood is not the best. They are famous for their garlic sauce and I think that is the reason why the people on social media respond so well, to the post. In other words, we have many Zankou Chicken aficionados in L.A. I personally think it is too garlicky, but don't go by my opinion.

Try it yourself.

Oh and don't forget to click the link in the title below. We always need those extra hits. :-)

Lebanese Garlic Sauce (Toum)

Makes about 4 cups

1 cup peeled garlic cloves 1 teaspoon salt 4 cups neutral oil such as grapeseed or sunflower 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

Examine the garlic cloves and remove and discard any green sprouts, which can make the sauce taste bitter. Place the garlic and salt in a food processor and process until the garlic is puréed. Scrape down the sides of the bowl once or twice as necessary.

With the machine running, add 1/2 cup of the oil in a very slow, thin, steady stream. Gradually add 1/2 tablespoon of the lemon juice in the same manner. Repeat this process until all of the oil and lemon juice have been incorporated into the garlic. It should take around 10 minutes. If at any point the mixture separates, stop adding oil/lemon juice and continue processing until the mixture comes together. The sauce should have a mayonnaise-like consistency.

Transfer the garlic sauce to an airtight container. If the sauce is still warm from the food processor, wait until it cools to cover the container.

Store in the refrigerator for up to 4 weeks.