Ammar Albarakati grew up wanting to be a doctor, but cooking really piqued his interest, too. He ditched the white coat for an apron and traveled to the US to pursue his culinary dreams. In 2011, he got his bachelor’s degree in Culinary Arts and
Food Service Management from Johnson & Wales University and then returned
to Saudi.
With international cuisine as his niche, Ammar’s delectable dishes at a young age put him on the Saudi map of gastronomy. Equipped with the skills,
Chef Ammar competed on Top Chef Middle East Season 2, cooking his way through dozens of challenges. During one of the cooking rounds of the show, he dazzled viewers with Tamerisu, his tiramisu dish made with dates; Ammar’s approach to cooking involves blending the flavors of his Saudi heritage with international ones.
His fondness for cooking ran deep as he opened his own place, Ammar Restaurant in Jeddah, that brought him great food and service credibility. Representing his talents as he dishes out international classics, the restaurant has brought him national attention.
.6 L Cream (whipped)
200g cream
180g Mascarpone cheese
350g date puree
1/4 cup water (depending on the moisture of the date paste)
1 g baking soda
420g butter
1200g digestive biscuits (crushed)
3 packs ladyfingers
2 cups coffee (Arabic, espresso, or Nescafe)
Caramel sauce (use low-sugar caramel)
Cardamom
Cocoa powder or crushed pistachio (optional for garnish)
Instructions:
1. Dip ladyfingers in coffee and store for at least 12 hours.
2. In a medium-sized saucepan on heat, mix date puree and water.
3. Add a spoon of butter and heat for 6 minutes until all is well combined.
4. Remove mixture from heat, add baking soda, and mix thoroughly.
5. Transfer mix to a blender and blend until soft and smooth.
Cool the mix and chill in the fridge for 20 minutes.
6. In a bowl, start whisking the Mascarpone cheese until soft, then add the cream and beat together.
7. Add the date mixture and whisk until well combined. Set aside.
8. Whip the cream just until stiff peaks form and start folding the whipped cream into the date mixture in batches until well combined.
Start preparing the base:
In a medium-sized bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, and cardamom (optional), and stir until all crumbs are moistened.
To assemble:
In a platter, put your cardamom biscuit layer, top with some Tamerisu cream and place a coffee-dipped ladyfinger on top. Drizzle some caramel and pipe another layer of cream. Garnish
with cocoa powder or pistachio.
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