Toum bi Zeit
I had struggled for years to get this sauce right—clear white, creamy, and pungent. But it was only when my Lebanese friend and food writer Anissa Helou offered the suggestion of strained yogurt instead of the customary dampened bread or mashed potato that the whole thing began to come together for me. This is delicious but—obviously—for garlic lovers only. It is best made with a mortar and pestle, as a food processor brings out an acrid flavor.
Ingredients
Makes 3/4 to 1 cup
Step 1
Chop the garlic cloves coarsely, then combine them with the salt in a small bowl or a mortar. Using the pestle or, in the case of a small bowl, the back of a spoon, crush the garlic and salt together until you have a smooth paste. The garlic should be thoroughly crushed, almost to a cream.
Step 2
Slowly beat in the olive oil, stirring constantly, as if you were making a mayonnaise. Add at least 1/3 cup of oil but if you can do so without the sauce breaking,add as much as 1/2 cup. At the end, gently stir in the yogurt, incorporating it fully into the sauce.
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