Waldorf Salad
The Waldorf Salad was indeed first created and introduced at that venerable New York City hotel in 1893.
I'm starting to get down on food bloggers who call their recipes "classic" when they are anything but. The American Heritage Dictionary defines "classic" as "serving as the established model or standard." In the culinary world that means the classic recipe is the first and original recipe, not later interpretations or iterations of the very one that started the trend.
I've seen recipes for a so-called “Classic Caesar Salad” that are so far off the mark, they didn't even get the name of the dish correct, which is Caesar's Salad. (Kitchen Tapestry has its version of this recipe and does not to call it "classic" because it isn’t. It is an adaptation of the original and titled, My Version of Caesar’s Salad.)
To further the point, a Classic Martini is made with gin, not vodka. A classic Southern Style Potato Salad uses Russet Potatoes, not Yukon Gold. And a “classic” Waldorf Salad in its original form as introduced in the hotel from which its name was taken had just four ingredients: red apples, celery, mayonnaise and lettuce.
The Waldorf and The Astoria Started as Two Rival Hotels
As a quick aside, The Waldorf and The Astoria were competing hotels next door to each other in the 1890s; they merged to become one hotel in 1897, making it 1,300 rooms, the largest hotel in the world at the time. It was the first hotel in the US to offer electricity and private bathrooms. John Jacob Astor IV who built The Astoria died at the age of 48 in the Titanic disaster of 1912.
The old Waldorf-Astoria was razed in 1929 to make way for construction of the Empire State Building. The new Waldorf-Astoria Hotel opened at its present location on Park Avenue in 1931.
To be sure, many variations of the original Waldorf Salad recipe have been created since 1893 that include pecans, walnuts, raisins, even blue cheese and other fruit like pineapple and grapes. There's nothing inherently wrong with any of that. Just don't call it “classic.”
My mom used to make Waldorf Salad when I was a boy, and I'm pretty sure she used Kraft Miracle Whip instead of mayonnaise. She didn't call it classic, either.
As for the kind of apple to use, I suggest a firm, sweet apple like Honey Crisp or Fuji. Some bloggers profess tart apples, like Granny Smith, but then add table sugar to their recipe. Why not go with natural fructose instead? But stay away from apples that are mealy in texture, like Golden Delicious. You want the apples to have some body to them and the ability to stand up to the acidity of the lemon juice.
And since I use lemon juice, not to mention its zest, pecans and sour cream, I won't say this is a Classic Waldorf Salad, but it's a pretty darn good version.
Waldorf Salad
Ingredients
- 2 large Honey Crisp or Fuji apples
- 1 medium lemon
- 2-3 stalks of celery, very finely diced (about a cup)
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 5-6 grinds freshly cracked black pepper
- 4 cups green lettuce (like Green Leaf, Boston Bibb or Butter Lettuce)
Instructions
- Peel and core the apples, then cut into bite-size pieces and place in a mixing bowl.
- Using a micro-plane, zest your lemon over the apples, then cut the lemon in half and squeeze the juice from both halves over the apples. Toss the apples in the lemon juice to keep them from oxidizing and turning brown.
- Add the celery, pecans, mayonnaise and sour cream and toss gently until everything is coated and combined.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour.
- Serve cold on a bed of crisp green lettuce.
