Waldorf salad: the star and original salad

Welcome to Paulina Cocina, dear human inhabitants of the world , to this edition where you'll find a spectacular recipe for a Waldorf Salad, that delicacy invented one glorious day in New York City, unaware it would become a worldwide success. Today you'll take it home, to a barbecue, wherever you want, you'll be able to show off this beauty of vegetables and crazy envelopes.

I recommend you stay and read everything I'm about to tell you about this incredibly interesting recipe. Just to warn you, the combined ingredients taste so good you'll be dreaming of lettuce and mayonnaise .

About Waldorf Salad

As I was telling you, the history of this salad dates back to New York City in 1893, specifically at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel , which was one of the most glamorous places in the city.

The story goes that it was precisely in this hotel where the magic was born: a brilliant mind combining the exact ingredients and creating this Waldorf salad. Obviously, it quickly became an elegant and distinguished dish. 

In its first version, nuts were not included; it was a much simpler dish, but it was very popular in New York. The salad became very popular among upper-class people who visited the hotel to try the signature dish.

As the original recipe began to spread around the world, some added nuts and others substituted yogurt for mayonnaise. Alternatively, you can replace the apples with fresh pineapple slices, cut into small triangles, or sprinkle shredded coconut on top.

Interesting fact: Initially, its price was about 10 cents; today, it sells for about $20 at the same hotel.

Tips for preparing Waldorf Salad

Preparing in advance is the key

We'll have all the ingredients chopped, except for the apples, which are prone to oxidization, well stored in zip-lock bags or some airtight container. The idea is to prevent air from entering and to keep them in the refrigerator until ready to use.

We'll also store the freshly made sauce in the same way: in the refrigerator. When you're ready to peel and slice the apples, mix all the ingredients well and always serve it chilled.

On smoked chicken or turkey breasts

These will come in 2 or 3 kilo pieces and are sold cut. We will ask the person selling them to give them to us in 250 g pieces.

About the cream

We'll use whole-fat cream with 35% fat, and not light cream (if possible). The amount we'll use is very small, and even though it's a saturated fat, it provides considerably more creaminess than light cream. We'll add the cream by the spoonful to prevent the dressing from becoming too runny. When we mix it with the rest of the ingredients, the salad should be moist but not runny.

• If you store the Waldorf salad in the refrigerator in a tightly sealed plastic bag or with a hermetic seal, it can be prepared from morning to night or the next day.

There's not much more to say about this exotic delicacy. Just give it a try! The combination of ingredients is truly delicious, and it's a wonderful treat to eat every once in a while.

I'll say goodbye until next time! Enjoy!

Ingredients

For the Waldorf salad

• Apples 800 g.
• Chopped walnuts 150 g.
• White celery 150 g.
• Nuts 50 g.
• Chicken 250 g.
• Salt and pepper

For the mayonnaise

• Lemon juice
• Egg 1 u.
• Mustard c/n
• Olive oil 200 or 300 g.
• Milk

How to make a Waldorf Salad

1. Start by preparing the homemade mayonnaise. For this recipe, we're going to use a lot (seriously, a lot) of lemon juice, because this bitter flavor will counteract the sweetness of the apple very well. It needs to be thick, so you'll probably need about 300g of oil.
2. Add the cream, little by little until it becomes thick, and a pinch of sugar.
3. Place this mayonnaise in a large salad bowl where it can be easily stirred.
4. Choose your favorite apple—a sweet one is great—and start by removing the hard parts (core and seeds), peeling them, and cutting them into small squares. When the apples are ready, place them on top of the mayonnaise and mix them together to prevent them from browning.
5. Let's move on to the celery: Remove any tough strands. Chop it finely because its flavor is strong and we don't want it to overwhelm the entire salad; it will only give it a soft, crunchy texture.
6. Chop the walnuts and, if desired, any other nuts you like. While adding the ingredients to the salad bowl, stir until they're all coated in the mayonnaise.
7. Now, cut the chicken breast into small pieces and shred it.
8. Once you've added all the ingredients, stir well. If the salad feels dry, add a few more tablespoons of heavy cream. It's likely that all of our ingredients will absorb the mayonnaise. For this salad to turn out just right, it needs to be very juicy. What else can I say? Enjoy it!