The Swans resident chef, Ryan O’Keefe, has been in the Club kitchen all day, getting ready to feed a tribe of hungry footballers after training tonight.
O’Keefe is cooking up massive pots of lamb stew and seafood paella, to be followed by rice pudding with stewed apples and mixed berries.
He’s been helped by a trusty assistant in team-mate Lewis Johnston, who’s been peeling piles of sweet potatoes and carrots.
After training finishes at 7pm, the entire playing list as well as the coaches - a total of around 50 people - will sit down in the Club lounge to tuck into the meal prepared by Ryan.
O’Keefe, who recently conducted cooking classes for most of his team-mates, loves cooking but has never taken on such a big operation before.
“This is the first time I’ve cooked for 50 people,’’ O’Keefe said. “I’ve cooked for the family at Christmas, but never this many people all at once.’’
And never before for 50 people with such big appetites. “We’ve got a menu that is pretty easy and I’ve got to go to training this afternoon, so I’ve got to cook it now and this can simmer away while I’m running around,’’ he said.
O’Keefe has been liaising with the Club’s recently-appointed dietician, Lorraine Cullen, to organise the menu and the food.
“Lorraine has been really great, she’s very hands-on with setting up things like this. This is a meal that I’d eat myself, it has everything we need in it,’’ he said.
“I’ve been thinking about food most of the time the past few days, but I’m not stressing about it. I enjoy cooking and it helps me relax.’’
He is exploring the idea of setting up a catering company for sports teams as a post-football career option in the future.
But in the meantime, dinner in the Club Lounge, catered by Ryan, could become a regular event.
“On other nights after a late training session we’ve organised to go somewhere together for dinner but it ends up being 35 or 40 dollars a head, or we’ve had catering and that also costs a bit,’’ he said.
“So I thought I’d do the club a favour and get a few of the younger guys to come and help out with the preparation, like Lewis. He has been really good and peeled all the stuff for me.’’
And he’s hoping it will fuel the boys for a big performance against Port. “I’m expecting Goodesy and Jesse to kick 10 goals each after this!’’
