Toum For The Touchdown!

Houston, we have a quarterback. To celebrate, a culinary touchdown in the form of toum (also spelled 'toom' in some Syrian cookbooks).  Toum is the ketchup of Middle Eastern food (or is ketchup the toum of American food?); an omnipresent condiment, it is used to dress grilled meats, sandwiches, even rice. The ingredients are simple, but the preparation more sophisticated, for its success depends on delicate emulsion.  Don't throw all the ingredients in a blender and expect to have anything resembling the correct end product. Patience is key.

Ingredients

• 5 garlic cloves

• 1 egg white

• Juice of 1 lemon

• 1 cup vegetable oil

• ice water on hand

Directions

1. Place garlic and roughly 1/4 of the lemon juice in a food processor. Pulse on medium.

2. Add half the egg white and pulse again on medium.

3. Gradually add the half oil. And, I mean, gradually. Pulse intermittently on medium.

4. Add remainder of lemon juice and egg white. Pulse on low.

5. Add remainder of oil, again slowly. Pulse on low.

6. Add 1 or 2 tablespoons of ice water. Pulse on low until mixture just reaches creaminess.

Slather on your choice of protein.