Marcus Samuelsson is cooking up a new partnership.
The celebrity chef and restauranteur has been named the first-ever chief culinary coach of New York City FC. As part of his new role, Samuelsson designed the soccer team’s training facility menu and will also collaborate with the team on community events throughout New York. The Red Rooster owner, however, isn’t limiting himself to the kitchen.
Samuelsson recently joined a NYCFC first team training session, where he discussed tactics with longtime friend and sporting director Claudio Reyna. He also got a good sweat on while participating in team drills and even dabbled in some soccer tennis with players Anton Tinnerholm, Ben Sweat and Sebastien Ibeagha.
Given how much they burned on the field, Samuelsson then led the players in a healthy cooking class where he taught them three recipes he specifically created for NYCFC. The team will be munching on new menu items such as the Striker’s Choice (Vietnamese steamed halibut, miso, lemongrass) and The Panenka (chicken breast, apricot glaze, soy), as well as two off-side dishes (tabbouleh and citrus-mint veggie slaw), for now, as the menu will change on a monthly basis.
“The ingredients are super delicious but also have a lot of benefits,” Samuelsson told Page Six over the phone on Wednesday. “It’s about having something that’s healthy and you don’t have to compromise delicious.”
Although the meals will be served at the team’s training facility, players can also try to replicate them at home.
“The recipes are there. There’s a huge balance between athletes and food, and we’ve come so far with that,” Samuelsson explained. “If the athletes on the early side can start to eat better, control when they eat and how they eat, you can have a better career and you can maximize your career.”
He added, “This way they’re getting their proteins in very different ways. It’s delicious. It’s familiar.”
Samuelsson’s work with NYCFC won’t be limited to the field and training sessions. The 48-year-old chef can also be seen at forthcoming events such as the fifth annual Harlem EatUp!, youth soccer tournaments and healthy cooking classes for local kids and teens. He’ll also be brainstorming with NYCFC players to create new dishes that reflect their home countries that will be served at his Red Rooster restaurant in Harlem.
“I know two things in life: cooking and playing soccer,” Samuelsson told us. “Everything else is kind of like not my forte … I’m just happy to be part of those two communities. New York City should have an amazing soccer team.”