Imad Afram is 26 years old and discovered his passion for cooking in 2018. While residing in London, he decided to leave his studies in finance to enroll in the prestigious culinary school, Le Cordon Bleu.

Following his training, after notable stints working at the Asian restaurant Scully St James’s and then at the Michelin-starred Hide restaurant, he embarked on a new culinary journey in Montreal, joining a restaurant specializing in reimagined Lebanese cuisine. “This experience awakened a latent patriotism in me and convinced me to return to Lebanon,” he explains.

Now, with approximately 29,500 followers, the young chef-consultant appears twice a week in short, social media videos, clad in a black t-shirt and sporting a cheerful smile. Set to the tune of ‘That’s Amore’ he professes his love for a diversity of dishes ranging from tabbouleh, chicken prepared in a variety of ways, salads, and…his signature burger.

“One of my favorite recipes is a bacon jam burger,” he shares. “In our latest project, called ‘Copy Cat,’ my partners and I will reimagine the most successful burgers we have in our repertoire by giving them our own personal flair and by blending tradition and creativity.”

This project is set to launch in a month's time, live from his kitchenette in Zalka and then in Badaro, catering to all carnivorous food lovers. Imad tells us, “My Instagram account is spontaneous and visually appealing- easy to understand and easy on the eye. It allows me to share joyful moments with others. What matters most to me is seeing people’s reactions after taking their first bite. I don’t do this for image, but rather to make cooking accessible to everyone.”

Imad Afram’s pesto risotto

Category: Main course

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 20 minutes

Total time: 30 minutes

Serves: 2 people

Difficulty level: Easy (but requires a bit of patience!)

Ingredients:

For the pesto

40g parmesan

20g pine nuts

1 garlic clove

40 basil leaves

120g extra virgin olive oil

A pinch of salt

For the rice

1 finely chopped Spanish onion

200g Arborio rice

A bit of white wine or vinegar

Chicken or vegetable broth

40g parmesan

60 butter, cut into cubes

For the garnish

Puffed capers

Olive oil

Black pepper

Espelette pepper

Method:

For the pesto

Step 1- In a mortar, crush the pine nuts and garlic clove with half of the olive oil using a pestle.

Step 2- Add the basil leaves, the remaining olive oil, and the Parmesan, and crush everything together.

For the rice

Step 1- In a pan, fry the onion in olive oil.

Step 2- Add the rice and sauté for a few minutes.

Step 3- Add wine and let it reduce.

Step 4- Gradually add chicken or vegetable broth to the rice in several batches.

Step 5- Add parmesan and butter cubes, and mix.

Step 6- Add 1-2 spoonfuls of the previously prepared pesto and mix.

Step 7- Fry the capers in olive oil.

Step 8- Serve the rice and garnish with capers, a drizzle of olive oil, black pepper, and Espelette pepper. 

This article was originally published in French in L'Orient-Le Jour.