Most importantly, the Lebanese garlic sauce called toum is a must for any attempt at recreating chicken shawarma.

The blog: Abood’s site is an ode to Lebanon filled with recipes for everything from coffee, cocktails, jam and sherbet to breads, granola bars, chicken wings and lamb chops.

The quote: “This blog is a place where we come together to share Lebanese cuisine, which in turn is tied, inextricably, to stories … and family … and love.”

The tester: I would never have dreamed I could recreate at home the intensity of flavour that is my favourite street food dish. But this shawarma recipe is easy enough and comes close.

Recipes I’m dying to make: Lebanese Panzanella Salad, Basil Zucchini Soup, Za’atar Chicken Wings, Smokey Eggplant Dip and a lentils, rice and onion dish called Mujadara.

Home Shawarma With Toum

It took Abood multiple attempts to perfect her toum recipe, which could be swapped out for a quicker sauce made of whole-milk yogurt and a pinch of salt and cayenne pepper to taste. But any true shawarma devotee knows their fix isn’t complete without toum.

This shawarma dish only needs a spoonful of the strong spread-like sauce, but the toum can be covered and saved for up to a month.

“You can use it in all kinds of ways, really anywhere you use minced garlic,” says Abood.

Up the spice quantity and increase the marinade time up to a day for hotter more flavourful chicken.

For toum

1/2 cup (125 mL) fresh garlic cloves, peeled

1 tsp (5 mL) salt

1/4 cup (60 mL) lemon juice

2 cups (500 mL) neutral oil (such as canola or grapeseed)

For shawarma

2 lemons

1/2 cup (125 mL) extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 cup (125 mL) yogurt (any fat percentage)

6 cloves garlic, peeled and halved

1 tsp (5 mL) kosher salt

2 tsp (10 mL) sumac

1/2 tsp (2 mL) cinnamon

1/4 tsp (1 mL) red pepper flakes

2 pounds (900 g) skinless boneless chicken thighs

1 large red onion, peeled and quartered

2 tbsp (30 mL) coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley

Toum

Cut garlic cloves in half lengthwise, remove green centre sprout, which can cause bitter flavour.

Place garlic and salt in food processor and pulse until finely minced, stopping to scrape down sides of bowl between pulses.

In a very thin, slow stream, so slow that it stops to a dribble at times, pour 1/4 cup oil into running processor. Slowly add 1 teaspoon lemon juice while processor is running. Turn off processor and scrape down sides. Continue alternating oil and lemon juice in slow, steady streams, stopping occasionally to scrape down bowl. Mixture will turn fluffy and white.

Scrape into container. Cover toum with paper towel and refrigerate for 12 hours, chilling sauce completely and removing moisture. After 12 hours, cover with the airtight lid. Can be refrigerated for up to a month. Intense flavour will soften over time.

Makes 2 cups.

Shawarma

In medium bowl, combine lemon juice, olive oil, yogurt, garlic, salt, sumac, cinnamon, and red pepper flakes. Add chicken, cover and marinate for at least 1 hour and up to 24 hours.

Heat oven to 500 F (260 C) with rack positioned in upper third of oven. Line pan with parchment or non-stick foil.

Toss red onion with chicken in marinade. Place chicken and onion evenly on pan. Discard marinade.

Roast for 30 minutes, flipping chicken halfway through cooking.

While chicken bakes, cook rice per package instructions.

Remove chicken when nicely crisped around edges. If needed, broil for a few minutes to get chicken golden brown.

Slice chicken into 1/4-inch strips. Lay over bed of rice.

Serve shawarma hot with spoonful of toum and additional condiments and spreads such as tahini, hummus and choice of hot sauce. Serve with side of pita bread, pickled turnips and other salads of your choice.

Makes about 6 servings.