Barnabás Hack proves with three dishes: holiday cooking is not just for moms

Barni’s book “Dad Cooks Today” has been published before, and it has received a surprising amount of feedback from dads who dared to cook for the first time precisely because of the simple, understandable recipe guide it contains. “You don’t need a Michelin star or culinary confidence. All you need is a little courage, a little curiosity and the desire to surprise your family with something you’ve made yourself,” says Barni. We could even start doing this this Christmas.

In his opinion, cooking is not a competition, nor is it the “prerogative” of mothers. “It gives a father immense strength when his children see that he knows how to cook, wants to cook and loves it. That doesn’t make anyone any less – in fact, we end up in family memories in a completely different way.” Barni says: the point of eating together is not that everything is perfect, but that it is prepared together, eaten together, and the family is together.

Now, before the holidays, the chef is sharing three recipes from his book that anyone can use to achieve success, even if they have only watched the kitchen events from afar. “My goal has always been to make sure dads don’t feel like they need a special license to cook. All you need is a good recipe, a little attention – the mood will take care of the rest.”

HOLIDAY RECIPES FROM HACK BARNI, CHEF OF COSTES DOWNTOWN

Fattened Duck Liver Terrine, Thyme Pear Chutney

• 600 g of fattened duck liver
• 30 g of cocoa powder
• 5 pinches of salt
• freshly ground pepper
• 4 pears
• 0.5 dl Tokaji Aszú wine
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 3 sprigs of thyme
• fresh bread

Take the duck liver out of the fridge and place it on a cutting board, then break off the smaller half. Then remove the larger vein in the middle of the duck liver. Try to follow the vein with your finger to remove as much of the liver as possible. Once you’ve done this, use a knife to cut the liver into pieces about the size of your thumb, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and roll it around so that it’s evenly coated. Lay out a kitchen towel (preferably one that has not been previously washed with fabric softener, as it will absorb the food’s scent). Place the pieces of duck liver on the kitchen towel, arrange them into a cylinder by hand, then roll them up tightly with the kitchen towel and shape them into a tight cylinder. Do not unroll the kitchen towel, but tie the two ends with asparagus, or in the middle in 3-4 places so that it cannot open during cooking.

Boil water in a large pot, then throw the liver wrapped in the kitchen towel into it for 1.5 minutes. Then immediately put it in cold water for 5 minutes. If you did everything right, you will see that the fat will leak out through the kitchen towel during cooking, and only the beautiful liver will remain in the kitchen towel.

After the cold water, unwrap it, then spread the cooked pieces, sprinkle with cocoa powder, roll it by hand to coat it all over, then place the liver in a desired shape, then press it down. You can also roll it into a cylinder using foil to get nice round slices when serving. Put it in the refrigerator for at least 2-3 hours to harden and you can slice it.