reruns no. 2 — lebanese garlic (mayo) sauce

in following with the theme of revisited recipes, this one is for the popular and much sought after sauce, or condiment, which goes by its arabic name thoum. thoum is really just the word for garlic however. considering the amount of 'hits' my blog gets for it regularly, since the time i originally posted that recipe, i figured it is time to post the other version. the first recipe, posted over 2 years ago, is eggless. it also uses one whole head of garlic! this one includes the yolk of one egg and few cloves of garlic.

before i give the recipe, i will say that some people don't know or 'get it' that the authentic version of this sauce is made without eggs and quite a bit lot of garlic. in essence, it is a mixture of garlic mashed with salt to yield a purée into which oil is slowly added. it is then finished with lemon juice. making it this way has its faults in so much as it is extremely difficult to do, even for those who are experienced. it is an unstable emulsion which is very tempermental and requires the correct measures and perfect touch of hand, whether made traditionally in a large mortar or by modern methods (blender). the eggless version i posted in 2006, was thickened, as many people do it, with a piece of boiled potato, making a garlic sauce which does not separate and reduces the acridity, or harshness, of the garlic. adding either the boiled potato or a piece of moistened bread to it makes it stable (nothing worse than having all your work separate and fall apart before your eyes!).

* * * * *

the other way to make thoum stable is to use an egg yolk, an ingredient which makes a thick unctuous product. this creamy off-white coloured garlic sauce is also the one, i believe, the majority of people are looking for and the one which they are accustomed to finding in (fast food type) lebanese restaurants.

the best way to prepare this condiment is in a blender or with a hand held immersion blender. if you choose the latter route, make sure you have someone helping you to hold the vessel/cup in which you blend the ingredients, as it becomes difficult, even next to impossible, to keep it from wobbling around while blending and trying to add the oil all at the same time.

the most important thing when making this is NOT to rush. if you're one of those people who are impatient, then you are better off getting someone else to make it or just to buy it. while making this sauce is pretty straightforward, it still requires attention to detail and a steady hand.

the sauce is good for 1 to 2 weeks if well refrigerated. only use mild olive oil or a blend of vegetable and olive oil. remember this recipe is more like a mayonnaise (and therefore highly caloric) while the other has a different texture. that one, i'd say, is more like a sauce than a mayonnaise. it also uses less oil and is more pungent.


lebanese garlic mayonnaise sauce

makes approx. 1 cup

ingredients:

3 large cloves garlic + 1 smaller one
1 large egg yolk
1 1/2 tsp (no more than that!) water*
1/4 tsp salt

1 c (8 oz) regular olive oil or blend of vegetable and olive oil

white vinegar mixed with water to equal 3 tbsp OR,
juice of 1/2 small lemon

*the water is there to help blend things easily. DO NOT omit it.


method:

have your mise-en-place ready first. you don't have time to run around the kitchen grabbing ingredients.

*i am using an immersion blender here; you can use a regular one. do NOT use a food processor.

place the garlic and egg yolk in the mixing bowl (or tall sided immersion blender jar). if you don't trust your blades are sharp enough, you can use a mortar and pestle to grind the garlic to a fine purée with the salt and then add it to the blender with the egg yolk and continue from that point.

blend it for a minute just to break up the garlic. it will further break down as you progress.

add the salt and the water and mix it for 2 or 3 minutes (pulsing) until is is broken down and blended.

this part is where you need to keep an eye on things. i can't say exactly how long it will take as it depends upon your ingredients and your method.

add the oil now in DROPS and blend in completely after each one, pulsing as you go.

continue to do this until your mixture looks creamy and emulsified. this is the sign of when to add the rest of the oil, slowly in more of a steady stream.

add the oil, in trickles and keep blending as you go. it will take some time, maybe up to 10 minutes. have someone hold the emulsion jug if that is how you're doing it or to slowly pour the oil as you blend and hold on to the jar.

once all the oil is incorporated, it should look like a whitish very thick mayonnaise.

taste it to see if you need more salt. add a tiny bit if necessary.

now add the lemon juice or vinegar and water mixture in a slow stream until it tastes right to you. you may not need it all, so taste test along the way.

refrigerate and use as wanted.

enjoy!

kitchen essentials — homemade mayonnaise

growing up, store-bought mayonnaise never made its way past the doors of my home until my late teens. up until that time, my parents, both europeans, refused to buy it, believing something was wrong with it — for some reason, they couldn't get past the idea of north american mayonnaise being completely white and made with preservatives. it definitely did not look like the the kind they knew.

mayonnaise was always made by hand, arduous as it may seem, and in small quantity. whether that was by design or just because it wouldn't last as long as a manufactured one, i don't remember having oodles of it in the fridge ever. what i do remember is that it was the colour of buttercups and with one taste of it, you immediately knew it was sinful and definitely not to be consumed in large amounts.

making your own mayonnaise, is a must try — at least once — to see the difference between the real stuff and store-bought. it's also a good exercise in trying your hand at classic cooking and "la technique". the homemade version is 1,000 times richer tasting and, in my opinion, infinitely superior. those who have never had it may find it not to their liking mostly because they have never had the real thing before and expect mayonnaise to taste like the hellmann's or kraft's version.

before embarking on such a project, there are several things to note when making your own:

• all ingredients absolutely need to be at room temperature;
• only use the freshest of eggs — old egg yolks just won't do;
• the final mayonnaise must be kept refrigerated; don't leave it out on the counter;
• beginner and novice cooks should opt for using an electric beater rather than whisk (at least for the first several times);
• rinse your (metal) bowl with hot water and dry it before starting.

now go crack your egg and make some homemade mayonnaise and impress yourself and those around you! :)


homemade mayonnaise

yellow like butter, thick and creamy smooth, this unctuous and centuries-old silky egg and oil emulsion is easier to make than you think. it's also better than anything you'll ever buy from a store. use it on your sandwiches, pipe it into fancy rosettes on your hors d'oeuvres or just eat it with a spoon!

makes approx. 3/4 - 1 cup

ingredients:

1 egg yolk, at room temperature
6 oz vegetable oil or 5 oz veg + 1 oz olive oil
{you can use up to 8 oz of oil per egg yolk}

1/4 tsp salt
1 - 1 1/2 tsp white vinegar
1/2 heaped tsp dry mustard powder*

2 - 3 tbsp salted water, optional**
1 tbsp boiling water

*is used to help emulsify the ingredients and add flavour
**use to thing down the mayonnaise

method:

make this at your own risk — raw eggs not recommended for elderly, youngsters or infirm.

in a metal bowl with a good whisk (or electric mixer), beat the egg yolk with the salt, mustard powder and vinegar. beat it until it lightens in colour (pale yellow) and is well-blended.

now the tricky part ..... introducing the oil.

this must be followed EXACTLY or you'll end up with a curdled mess (which can be salvaged)*; adding the oil must be done very gradually or it will not bind properly with the lecithin in the yolk.

*if you screw up, start again with another egg yolk, mustard and salt and use the curdled mixture in place of the oil. it should re-amalgamate without any problems. just go slowly as described in the procedure.

the first step is to add, literally drops, of oil to the lightened yolk mixture. this allows the lecithin to activate.

gradually add 1 tsp of oil to the yolk mixture, completely incorporating it. this is repeated several times, until you see it start to thicken up.

always make sure the oil is completely incorporated (not visible to the eye) before adding more oil.

the final step with the oil is to introduce the rest of it, by tablespoon.

once you have a nice emulsion, you may add the rest of the oil by 3 tablespoon amounts.

you may, along the way, thin down the mayonnaise with teaspoons of salted water but only once the mayonnaise has stabilized and thickened. do not add it in the "teaspoon" stage.

to finish the mayonnaise, as it is called, 1 tbsp of BOILING water is added and mixed in well. the mixture must then be refrigerated for at least 2 hours for it to thicken up maximally. the water is added to prevent oil seepage and make a more stable mayonnaise.

use the mayonnaise within a week, or so, and make sure it is refrigerated as it contains raw egg yolk.

enjoy!
(in small quantities, of course!)

it's just not always about matzo balls........

traditionally, matzo balls and chicken soup are always partners in crime when it comes to jewish holidays and the sabbath — well .... almost always, that is.

depending on family tradition, and sometimes, time of year (i.e. passover), the following soup addition will show up in many a bowl of steaming golden yellow chicken soup. humbly made from eggs and a bit of water and flour, these cute little rolled up "noodles", or lokshen as they are called in yiddish, make for a nice presentation, besides tasting wonderful.


eier lokshen • egg noodles for soup

these can be served anytime of the year and can be made in advance and kept in the fridge until serving time when they are added to individual bowls of hot soup.

makes 2 to 3 bletlach ("leaves") per egg

ingredients:

1 tbsp matzo cake meal or regular flour
3 - 4 tbsp very cold water
1 egg
salt to taste
1/2 tsp oil (opt but helpful for stopping them not stick)

increase recipe (quantities) as required

method:

add flour and COLD water (start with 3 tbsp) in a bowl and mix well with a whisk. no lumps allowed!

add the egg, oil and some salt and mix well until perfectly smooth.

heat a nonstick fry pan and grease it lightly with a paper towel. keep the paper towel aside to reuse it.

take a small amount (a few tablespoons) and quickly add it and spread it around the pan to make a bletl (round leaf).

cook the bletl until it looks dry on top. it should cook quite quickly.

flip it over and cook for another 1 or 2 minutes until lightly coloured.

place the bletl on a plate and finish make all of them, stacking each on top of one another.

take each bletl on a flat surface (like a chopping board) and roll each it up very tightly.

cut it into small rounds, about 1/2 inch thick.

serve in soup (don't unroll them!).

enjoy!