This is one of the sides that brings me right back to my humble days of early chef-dom - a very classical and very good Waldorf Salad.
Waldorf-Astoria Hotel c1899
A bit behind the salad history: Oscar Tschirky, maître d’hôtel at the Waldorf Hotel in NYC, is credited with creating this recipe in the 1890s, as well as many other recipes. Veal Oscar, anyone? I'll save that for another post.
The Waldorf Salad is simply apples, celery, and mayonnaise served on a lettuce leaf. But that’s where it all begins. Walnuts became a common addition years later, as did grapes and other dried fruit such as raisins, apricots, and sultanas. My friend Tony even opted to add the aforementioned and cut the mayo with good Greek yogurt, which is very refreshing and lighter than all mayo or a combo of mayo & unsweetened whipped cream.
Things have changed since the 1890s, so go ahead and put your own spin on the Waldorf; Oscar won’t mind. Use a culinary license, prepare it with apples and toasted nuts, cut the mayo, and even substitute it with today’s olive oil mayo, which I prefer. Serve some grilled chicken or shrimp on the side, and then you are talking about a healthy main dish.
