This time next week dads should be surrounded by golf balls, comedy stubby holders or discounted books about the day their team won the grand final. Or in the case of Cronulla Sharks dads, the 18 wins in 1999 that earned them the minor premiership. But if you put in a little prep work, you can make their day complete by handing them the TV remote while you add some Father’s Day spin to the Sunday roast.

Spuds with sizzle

Roast those potatoes in duck fat. They’ll get extra crunchy because duck fat can get hotter without smoking. Plus Dad can go all paleo on the kids, reminding them that duck fat is mono-unsaturated and contains less saturated fat than butter or coconut oil.

Pair beer ‘n’ beef

No wonder stereotypical dads, like me, love these two. BEEEEF… BEEEER… They’re basically the same word! So serve roast beef or steak with a mound of beer-battered onion rings, because everything is better with onion rings – especially if beer is involved.

Thai one on

This is the sort of tie Dad wants. Give your chook a satay spin. Massage a dry rub of ground coriander and turmeric into the oiled skin. This will allow an avalanche of dad jokes about breasts and thighs. And as all dads love peanuts (apparently), while the bird is roasting to a crispy golden conclusion, make a cheat’s satay sauce. Blend ½ cup peanut butter, a couple of garlic cloves, a generous teaspoon of coriander seeds, a roughly chopped long red chilli and 2 tbs each of brown or palm sugar and lime juice. Add 1 ½ tsp fish sauce and a splash of sesame oil to taste. Warm with enough coconut cream for consistency. To serve, break down the chook, splash with the satay sauce and top with toasted peanuts, toasted shredded coconut and loads of coriander.

A little bit on the side

A few flourishes take everyday sides to “another level” as the reality show cliche goes. Toss Brussels sprouts with bacon or brown butter, roast carrots with coriander seeds and finish in some honey, add toasted almonds to broccolini or serve lamb with a warm salad of balsamic roasted beetroots, hazelnuts and goat’s cheese.

Elevate the chook

I’m loathe to mess with a classic but this is a simple pimp. Place a couple of halved lemons, cut side down, next to your roasting chicken. After cooking, squeeze their juice over the cut chook. Or blend half the lemon – skin, pith and all – and the juice into your gravy. The lemon’s roasted pith is bitter, so add the lemon in stages and taste as you go. A little salt will help balance it. This goes perfectly with light, Mexican-style beer (conveniently).

On the lamb

Lamb loves olives, anchovies and tomato, so it stands to reason it would also love those flavours all together in a puttanesca pasta sauce. So serve a puttanesca sauce under a crispy, fatty mound of slow-roasted lamb shoulder. Don’t forget to add a squeeze of lemon juice and salt flakes just before serving. You can also turn this into a braise. Find the recipe here.

A happy ending

How about a self-saucing chocolate pudding but made with stout, or something as simple as a Guinness and coffee ice cream float?