The Original Waldorf
A one-inch apple-celery cube bound in mayonnaise, finished the original way — no walnut
Oscar Tschirky's 1893 creation — apples, celery, mayonnaise; the walnut came later
Why this bite? Oscar of the Waldorf invented the Waldorf Salad in 1893 — apples, celery, mayo. No walnuts. This is the pure original.
The Story
When the Waldorf opened in 1893, maître d'hôtel Oscar Tschirky composed a salad of crisp red apples, celery, and mayonnaise — nothing more. The walnut that everyone now expects was a later addition by other hands. This bite returns to Oscar's original: clean, cool, deceptively simple, a reminder that the most enduring classics are often the most restrained. The dish that made a hotel a household word, served the way it began.
Ingredients
- Red-skinned apples
- Celery heart
- Mayonnaise
- Lemon juice
- Butter lettuce
- Cracked white pepper
Preparation
- 1.Dice apple and celery into precise one-inch matchstick cubes.
- 2.Toss with lemon to keep bright, fold in mayonnaise.
- 3.Set each cube on a butter-lettuce square.
- 4.Finish with cracked white pepper.
More from this collection
The Waldorf Astoria Collection
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A one-inch foie-gras-and-fig bonbon dusted with gold, dressed to be seen
Oscar of the Waldorf
A one-inch veal medallion with crab, asparagus tip & a ribbon of béarnaise
The $350 Cake
A one-inch red velvet cube with cocoa-cream cheese & a whisper of beet