Toom (Garlic Sauce)

Ah, the beloved Middle Eastern dipping sauce. Depending on your tastes, the thought of it will make you shiver with delight or fear. For our good friend Hassan, just mentioning toom brings a smile to his face. For many others, the world is painted in colors of nostalgia. Can good toom be found in the United States? That's up for debate, but mine (my aunt's recipe) seems to pass the test for both my dad and Hassan. If you've never tried this before, I strongly encourage it. Especially if you intend to rotisserie a chicken any time soon. It's an amazing accompaniment, although it does take a few bites for the magic to happen.

Ingredients:

6 cloves garlic
2 tbsp plain yogurt or mayonnaise
1 tsp salt
1 medium Russet potato, peeled and sliced 1/4 inch thick
1 cup vegetable oil for frying

Directions:

Heat oil in shallow pan. Make sure the heat is low. You'll know the oil is ready when you splash a drop of water in the pan and it spits back at you. BE CAREFUL when you do this. Drop in potato slices and cook until potatoes turn golden on the outside but are only half done. I suggest 2 minutes maximum, but frying is different in everyone's kitchen. I will say not to crowd the pan and to use some type of splatter shield.

Remove potatoes from oil and allow to drain on paper towels. Once drained, place them in the food processor with remaining ingredients. Blend until smooth, scraping down the sides once or twice. This won't take long.

The mixture should be thick from the potatoes. Taste and add more salt if necessary. Hhhhhappy eating. :)

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