So, whether you’re cooking for the first time, cooking with the kids, or are a seasoned home chef, these recipes have you covered.

1. Air-fryer pork belly

Pork belly is the ultimate dad dish and is always impressive. Cooking it in the air-fryer delivers the golden crackling that usually takes hours in the oven in way less time. Paired with a punchy gochujang BBQ sauce, this one is a guaranteed crowd-pleaser.

 Air-fryer pork belly recipe

2. Air-fryer buttermilk chicken breasts

Chicken breasts often get a bad reputation for being dry and boring, but not here. The buttermilk marinade keeps the meat succulent and flavourful, while the air-fryer gives it a beautiful golden finish without drying it out. Served on toasted ciabatta with a vibrant Turkish-style ezme, this is a step up from the everyday that dad truly deserves.

Air-fryer buttermilk chicken breasts recipe

3. Air-fried fish with sundried tomato filling 

If dad loves fish but you’ve always been nervous about cooking it in the air-fryer, this recipe is your saviour. Chef Kerry Kilpin’s genius trick of sandwiching two fillets together keeps the fish moist and prevents it from drying out. The herby crumb topping adds a restaurant-worthy finish. It’s impressive without being complicated.

Air-fried fish with sundried tomato filling recipe

4. Vienna bites

These golden, crispy strips are perfect for a laid-back afternoon of watching sport, card games or just lounging around with the family.

Vienna bites recipe

5. Banana fat cakes

No Father’s Day feast is complete without something sweet, and these banana fat cakes are the kind of treat that brings the biggest smiles. Think vetkoek meets banana bread: golden and drizzled with melted chocolate. They’re easy to devour straight from the fryer, and dad won’t be able to stop at just one.

Banana fat cakes recipe

Cheers to all the dads out there!

Find more air-fryer recipes here.

This content was created with AI assistance. However, it was fact-checked, edited and ideated by actual human beings at TASTE. 

The post 5 air-fryer recipes to treat dad this Father’s Day appeared first on Woolworths TASTE.

My dad is a master pancake-maker and -flipper… his tip was “patience” because I was always too eager to flip, instead of waiting for the pancake to start curling up around the edges as he advised. I still can’t get it right – patience was never my strong suit – so I just leave it to the experts. Or I visit my parents when I have a pancake craving! – Lee-Anne Spurdens, assistant editor

Find more pancake recipes here.

When cooking rice: bring it to the boil, reduce the heat, cover and walk away. Don’t stir it, don’t look at it too often. – Lynda Ingham-Brown, senior copy editor

Discover more recipes featuring rice here.

Twice-monthly Sunday lunches at my paternal grandmother’s house in Wellington were an institution; as was her rotation of authentic German dishes, including schnitzels, rolladen and sauerbraten. After she passed away, my father continued cooking these dishes, albeit with his own recipe tweaks. When I asked him how to make sauerbraten (wine-braised beef), he told me he finishes the gravy off with something you call “sossen fix” (kind of an instant sauce mix) and that you can thicken the sauce further with crushed ginger biscuits. Oh, and that you should keep the good red wine for drinking and put the less fancy wine in the dish. – Annette Klinger, features writer

View more brisket recipes here.

My dad showed me how to make the perfect Irish coffee. He taught me how to carefully pour the cream off the back of a teaspoon onto the coffee so there would be no mixing. – Abigail Donnelly, food editor

Find more recipes featuring coffee here.

My dad didn’t do much cooking but he did give me an appreciation for simpler meals, particularly meals on toast! He is a huge fan of canned baked beans (I like to make my own home-made version). I also share his love for all things butterscotch! – Amy Ebedes, online editor

Discover meals-on-toast recipes here.

My dad was fond of making chicken liver pâté from scratch and took great care in making it – braising the onions and getting the flavours just right. He didn’t always make it as a starter while entertaining, he’d often make bigger batches and freeze them to put on a sandwich for his work lunch. – Melissa Scheepers, online content producer

Discover more pâté recipes here.

Find more ways to celebrate dad this Father’s Day here.

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W(h)et dad’s appetite with a classic cocktail. Our vote goes to this Italian tipple on the rocks. It features the likes of gin, Campari and vermouth with a dash of sparkling water (optional).

THE RECIPE: Negroni on ice

SMASHING PUMPKINS

If you’re going to fire up the grill early, you might as well pop a pumpkin on the coals. Whether he’s a vegetarian or the biggest carnivore in the family, your dad is sure appreciate this veg with edge. It’s an absolute treat served with salsa verde and yoghurt.

THE RECIPE: Braaied smashed pumpkins

TO THE BONE

Seeing as you’re trying new things this year, why not surprise him with this starter of braaied marrow bones with chipotle butter? Warning: it’s utterly addictive, especially when spreading a plug of marrow over braaied slices of bread. Drooling already, are we?

THE RECIPE: Braaied marrow bones with chipotle butter

SMOKIN’ SARMIE

Make like Fritz Schoon and keep things local and lekker with these simply superb smoked snoek braaibroodjies. They’ll hit all the right spots, of that we are sure.

THE RECIPE: Fritz’s smoked snoek braaibroodjies

DIBS ON THE RIBS

Okay, let’s get down to real business. Here’s what your dad really wants (unless he’s a vegan or vegetarian, that is): Chinese sticky hot ribs served with cabbage-and-coconut slaw. They’re sticky, they’re sweet, they’re spicy, they’re hot. Star (son or daughter) status granted. You’re welcome.

THE RECIPE: Chinese sticky hot ribs

BEST BURGER

If pork or ribs in general aren’t his thing, Abi’s hand-chopped burgers are – quite frankly – a cut above the rest. It’s a little like making regular burgers but using a mature thick-cut rump steak cut into tiny morsels. It stars kimchi and come together sandwiched between sourdough rolls.

THE RECIPE: Hand-chopped burgers

GREEN WITH ENVY

Your dad will (hopefully) be proud of you for throwing in some greens. Take these greens with vinno cotto and tzatziki for instance – aren’t they just handsome? A showstopper salad, we say.

THE RECIPE: Greens with vino cotto and tzatziki

SWEET SATISFACTION

And to end off the mighty feast, keep it light and easy but daringly decadent with this chocolate crêpe cake with Nutella cream. It’s all the chocolate his heart – and yours – desires, after all.

THE RECIPE: Chocolate crêpe cake with Nutella cream

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Braai Mini Thermometers (R199)
While we wouldn’t dream of suggesting that your Dad doesn’t know when the meat is done, we do know how gadgets get most men excited. If nothing else, these effective mini thermometers will be a great talking point around the fire.

Cast Iron Pot (R599)
No doubt after many memorable meals, Dad’s ancient potjie is looking a little worse for wear. He’ll love this brand new, cast-iron pot and you’ll almost certainly score a free meal out of it

Copper Hip Flask (R150)
Your old man’s days of sipping hard tack on the go are probably long behind him, but hip flasks are making a comeback – and what Dad doesn’t want to feel cool? This sleek, copper-plated beauty is 12 cm high and holds 240 ml.

Espresso Maker (R250)
Does Dad fancy himself as a coffee connoisseur? This classic, six-cup, stovetop espresso maker is guaranteed to perk up his morning java routine

Crystal Whiskey Decanter (R1 400)
This elegant crystal decanter is made for the man who appreciates the finer things in life, including a fine single malt.

For more Father’s Day ideas, click here.

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IT’S A STEAK-OUT!

Prime rib steaks with onion purée
For something simple but substantial, there’s no going wrong with a succulent prime rib steak cooked to perfection. While delicious on its own, the onion purée makes the perfect accompaniment.

Zaatar-spiced ostrich steaks with tahini sauce
If your dad’s big on flavour, try these ostrich steaks, served with the Middle Eastern paste tahini, that will take you 30 minutes tops.

BOLD BUNS

Hand-chopped burgers with kimchi
Fresh from our latest issue, this tower of a burger will impress any carnivorous dad. For an international flavour punch, it’s garnished with Korean kimchi. Disclaimer: seriously drool worthy.

Rump-and-bacon burger with aged Cheddar and barbecue sauce
Packed with flavourful herbs and spices, this steak, bacon, Cheddar and barbecue-sauce burger has it all, including a hit of creamy aioli. Serve with the classics: good old gherkins and potato chips.

ROASTS WITH THE MOST

Thai pot-roasted beef neck
Warning: this dish can take up to 5 hours to cook, but all that slow cooking means it’s infused with vibrant flavours such as ginger, lemon grass, vanilla, chilli and garlic, making it worth the time and effort.

Harissa-roasted lamb with pomegranate and minted beetroot
If you don’t have a lot of time on your hands, but want to whip up a show-stopping main, this harissa-roasted lamb recipe created by TASTE contributing food editor Hannah Lewry will take you roughly 2 hours. Pomegranate lends a fresh flavour and texture, while minted beetroot is a palate-pleaser.

PERFECT PASTRIES

Beef-and-beer pie with slow-roasted cipollini onions
Beneath a layer of perfectly flaky pastry lies moreish beer-infused beef and meltingly soft cipollini onions. It’s seriously addictive!

Slow-cooked lamb shoulder and leek pie
For a twist on tradition, this slow-cooked lamb is turned into a pie that will more than satisfy Dad’s stomach and beat the winter chill, too.

MORE MEATY FEASTS

Beef goulash
Few things are as hearty as beef goulash. This recipe, tried, tested and recommended by celebrity chef Siba Mtongana, is quick, delicious and relatively easy to make.

Lentil soup with chickpeas and lamb meatballs
For a bowl of winter bliss, Phillippa Cheifitz’s lentil soup with chickpeas and lamb meatballs is the answer. It’s also low-carb and dairy-free for the carb-conscious or lactose-intolerant Dads out there.

For more Father’s Day ideas, click here.

The post The ultimate meaty dishes for Father’s Day appeared first on Woolworths TASTE.

Sundried tomato, cream cheese and biltong dip
In a blender, combine: 100 g chopped sundried tomatoes, 50 g original free-range game biltong sprinkle, 250 g cream cheese, the zest and juice of ½ a lemon, 10 g chopped coriander, 2 finely chopped garlic cloves, 1 finely chopped chilli, and a drizzle of olive oil. Blend until smooth. Season to taste and serve with melba toast.

Cheese- and biltong-stuffed ciabatta
Using a jalapeño-, Peppadew- and cheese-topped ciabatta, cut a shallow triangle lengthways down the middle. Brush with butter and toast under the grill until golden. Stuff with red pepper pesto, 200 g original moist sliced beef biltong, feta and fresh rocket.

Pear, blue cheese and biltong salad
Finely slice 2 pears into wafer-thin wedges and toss with 100 g Cremzola cheese, 150 g original free-range springbok sliced biltong, 100 g baby spinach salad and 50 g roasted pumpkin seeds.

Biltong, Parmesan and butter popcorn
Make a bag of butter-flavoured microwave popcorn according to package instructions. While still hot, toss with 50 g finely grated Parmesan and 50 g original free-range game biltong sprinkle. For a kick, add a sprinkle of paprika or chilli flakes, and enjoy with an ice cold beer.

For more Father’s Day ideas, click here.

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For the chocoholic
Chocolate heaven comes in the form of Woolworths’ Choco-O-Box, brimming with all things chocolatey: from dark- and white chocolate-coated almonds to chocolate-dipped shortbread fingers. Plus, it comes with a 160-page chocolate recipe book.

For the coffee connoiseur
Help your dad get his mornings off to a good start with this Coffee Culture hamper. It contains two types of coffee blends: Kenyan and Colombian, as well as two latte glasses and shortbread for some sweetness.

For the beefy dad
You can’t go wrong with a perennial favourite. This biltong hamper comprises sliced gemsbok biltong, droëwors, biltong chips and rounds.

For the vino veteran
For happiness in a bottle, there’s no better gift than a bottle (or case) of wine. Choose from the wide range available at Woolworths.

For the beginner cook
If your dad is a newbie in the kitchen, this beginner’s Italian cooking hamper is just the thing to inspire him. The end result is sure to be delizioso!

For the lover of finer things
As TASTE features writer Annette Klinger already pointed out, olive oil is a perennial favourite that will stand the test of time. For a little something different, try this black truffle-infused extra virgin olive oil.

For the sake of pigging out
This no-fuss hamper contains everything your dad needs to simply kick back and guzzle down his favourite snacks. Think speckled eggs (a.k.a. happy pills), prawn cocktail crisps and dried fruit.

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