That ain't hay! Denver Broncos eat to win at new training table

That ain't hay! Denver Broncos eat to win at new training table

By William Porter, The Denver Post An army marches on its stomach, Napoleon Bonaparte once said. John Elway, the Denver Bronco's general manager and executive vice president of football operations, must feel the same way about a certain orange-clad team. The dining room at Broncos headquarters at Dove Valley doesn't have white tablecloths, uniformed waiters or fancy wine lists — hey, it's basically a cafeteria. But the food lineup resembles a menu in a high-end restaurant: Skuna Bay salmon with a lemon-caper reduction, bison bolognese over bucatini pasta, sweet potato gnocchi with sage-infused brown butter and walnuts, grilled asparagus with heirloom tomatoes, Parmesan-crusted potatoes. And those were just the offerings on a recent Tuesday, when most of the players were taking the day off, save for a few who had wrapped up a weight-room session. When the Broncos invested $8 million earlier this year to expand their headquarters— the Paul D. Bowlen Memorial Centre — they included a totally reimagined kitchen and dining room. That area, with a combined 6,245 square feet of space, is professional-grade. It has a culinary team to match, which replaces a catering company the Broncos had long used. The kitchen crew is headed by Justin Domsch, the executive chef. Bryan Snyder is director of team nutrition. The latter played basketball at the University of Colorado-Colorado Springs before heading to the University of Northern Colorado to study dietetics, the science of nutrition and the regulation of diet. "Probably only four or five teams in the NFL have a dining facility and nutrition set-up like we have," says Snyder, who during the regular season must keep a 53-man roster and the practice squad happy. "We've had lots of positive feedback, especially among the well-traveled veterans who have been around three or four different teams." 11-month season The Broncos training table is pretty much a year-round operation. The only hiatus is a month-long period starting June 15, when everyone takes time off just before the preseason training camp begins. During those intense days, the kitchen turns out breakfast, lunch and dinner — plus two big snacks to refuel depleted bodies. Coaches, too, are there for three squares a day. Bronco's Training Table Come the regular season, it is more of a breakfast-lunch operation, with players generally on their own for dinner. Domsch figures his nine-member staff cooks for 115-125 people each day, estimating they will prepare about 50,000 plates during a calendar year. The team's dining room and kitchen might be as big as a barn, but these Broncos aren't chowing down on hay and oats. Well, except perhaps for steel-cut oats and fresh fruit for breakfast. "They love their fish," Domsch says, noting he was especially proud of a pistachio-crusted salmon he recently created. "I'm always changing it up. I also like to introduce them to new grains, like wheatberry, farro and quinoa." An entire station is dedicated to fresh fruit. "We always have four types of berries and lots of melons," says Domsch, who grew up in Florida and moved here from Los Angeles. "We like to bring in exotic fruits and introduce guys to them." Players are also fond of the Fuel Bar, a recovery station and beverage center where they can get customized drinks and smoothies. If you think Gatorade has a dominant sideline presence, you should see this nook off the cafeteria; the company's logo is everywhere. The kitchen uses local purveyors: chicken from Red Bird FarmsTender Belly pork, seafood from Seattle Fish Co., produce from FreshPoint. Training field Special dietary needs are also accommodated. "We have some people who are sensitive to gluten and dairy, so it's nice to have variety for them," Snyder says. "We always offer at least one lean protein and often two, so guys really don't have the option to eat poorly here." Snyder acknowledges there is a bit of a learning curve. The veterans tend to be savviest about their diets, having spent enough time in the league to listen to their bodies and accept changing metabolisms. Younger players take some instructing. "Some guys haven't expanded what they eat beyond what they got at home or in college," he says. "I think they're more receptive to eating here now than when it was catered," Domsch says of the days when Fridays saw the arrival of pizza and Popeye's chicken. For some reason, Snyder says, special-teams players have the most adventurous palates among the current crop of Broncos. "They're always inquiring about the food and where it came from, and asking the random weird question," he says with a laugh. Snyder's job is twofold. He must keep the players properly fueled — during training camp, an offensive lineman might take in up to 6,000 calories a day. (The average, moderately active adult male consumes 2,400-2,800 calories.) He must also keep them at their optimum performing weight, and makes that assessment for each player during training camp. This isn't just a matter of ensuring they don't put on too many pounds. It's also a matter of keeping their weight up during the season's grind. "By the time they get to the playoffs, most players are trending downward from training camp," he says. "If we can keep our players at a high level of conditioning at the end of the regular season, we know we'll have an advantage over other teams in the playoffs." Cornerback Tony Carter, a six-year pro who played at Florida State University, is a convert to the kitchen's efforts. "It's definitely helped out," he says. "I'm eating much better. It's very convenient, because the chefs are right here on the spot." Carter grew up eating his grandmom's cooking in his hometown of Jacksonville, Fla. "She cooked everything," he says. "Liver to anything else. Soul food." He misses that cooking, but has found some worthy substitutes. "I'm a big pasta guy," says Carter, a speedy pass defender listed at 5-feet-9 and 175 pounds. "I love the lasagna." Oh, and don't forget the omelets prepared by Alfredo Gonzales, a prep chef in the Broncos kitchen. "Alfredo is the omelet master," Carter says. William Porter: 303-954-1877, wporter@denverpost.com or twitter.com/williamporterdp ____________________________________________________ Pistachio Crusted Salmon with Lemon-Caper Reduction Justin Domsch, the executive chef for the Denver Broncos, created this dish for the team. He modified it for the home cook. Serves 4. Ingredients ½ cup pistachios, shelled ¼ cup seasoned breadcrumbs or panko 2 tablespoons Italian flat-leaf parsley 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard 1 tablespoon agave nectar 4 salmon filets (Scottish or Alaskan), skin off 2 tablespoons clarified butter Kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper to taste Directions Preheat oven to 375. Pulse pistachios in food processor and mix with breadcrumbs and parsley. Combine mustard and agave nectar. Season both sides of salmon with salt and pepper. Heat sauté pan with clarified butter on medium-high heat. Sear one side of the salmon for 3-4 minutes and remove from pan and place on baking sheet pan. Let salmon cool slightly. Brush seared side of salmon with Dijon-agave mix. Roll pistachio bread crumb mixture on top of Dijon and agave. Bake salmon for 7-10 minutes or until internal temperature is 125. Let rest for 5 minutes. Plate with lemon caper sauce and serve. Lemon Caper Reduction Ingredients 1 tablespoon olive oil 2 tablespoons peeled garlic, minced 3 tablespoons peeled shallot, small dice 1 cup chardonnay 3 cups fish stock 2 lemons with zest and juice ½ cup heavy cream ½ cup half-and-half ½ cup capers Kosher salt and cracked black pepper to taste1 tablespoon Italian flat-leaf parsley Directions Heat pan on medium-high heat with olive oil. Sauté garlic and shallots. Deglaze with white wine, and reduce. Add fish stock, lemon juice and zest, lower to medium heat and bring to simmer. Add cream, half-and-half and capers and reduce. Season with salt and pepper and add parsley. Present the sauce on the bottom of the plate and place the fish on sauce. Broncos Training Table

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