New Year’s Day Supper at the Waldorf Astoria, 1906

Guests at the Waldorf Astoria on New Year’s Day in 1906 had an embarrassment of supper riches from which to choose – but no doubt most of them were regulars, and had their favourite dishes. What would you have selected?

SUPPER

Cape Cods 30                      Bluepoints 30

Lynnhavens  35                   Cotuits 30

Beluga Caviar 1 50                             Smoked Sardines 30                           Lyon Sausage 50

Sardines 35           Carciofini 40        Cervelat 50           Antipasti 40

Radishes                25           Pickled Lamb’s Tongue 40                                Anchovies 50

Pickled Beets 25                  Sweet Pickled Tomatoes 25

Pomeranian Goose Breast 75

HOT

Chicken Broth per cup 30                  Chicken Broth, Bellevue per cup 30

Consommé cup 25                              Clam Broth cup 25

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Terrapin 3 50        Oyster Crabs 1 00                Snails 60

Stuffed Lobster 60                              Crab Meat, Créole  1 00

Lobster Cutlets, Cream sauce 60                     Lobster, Bonnefoy 1 25

Stuffed  Crab 50                  Broiled Lobster 1 00                           Devilled Kidneys 50

Canapé Lorenzo 60            Fresh Goose Livers, Madeira 1 50

Canapé Waldorf 60            Sweetbreads, Bussy  1 25

Breast of Duck with Hominy 75                      Lamb Chops, Robinson 85

Scotch Woodcock 50                         Welsh Rarebit 40 Yorkshire Buck 60

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Broiled Chicken 2 00 half 1 00         Broiled Squab 90 Broiled Sweetbread 1 00

Tournedos of Filet, Cherron 1 50

Ruddy Duck 2 00                                Canvasback Duck 4 00     Mallard Duck 2 00

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French Asparagus 1 25       Fresh Asparagus 1 25                         German Asparagus 1 00

Artichoke, Hollandaise 60                 Oyster Bay Asparagus 75

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COLD

Game Pie 1 25      Spring Lamb 80                   Crab Ravigotte 60

Mixed Cold meat 75 with Chicken 1 00         Chaudfroid of Chicken 1 25

Beef à la Mode 75              Boneless Squab in jelly 1 10             Boned Capon 1 00

Westphalian Ham 75                         Squab 90                               Virginia Ham 75

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Sandwiches:- Tongue 25    Chi de foie gras 50                              Club 35

Canapé à la Rex 50                            Ham 25

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Crab 75 Romaine 60          Alexander 75        Russian 1 00         Cucumbers 60

Lettuce 60                             Chicken 1 00        Florida 75                              Lobster 1 00

Tomato 60                                            Japonaise 1 00

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Peaches Montserrat au feu d’Enfer 1 25

Nesselrode Pudding 40       Mixed Cakes 25                  Sorber Crême Yvette 30

Café Parfait 25                    Chestnut Plombière 40       Biscuit Bellevue 30

Charlotte glacée   40          Savarin au Kirsch 25                          Eclairs 25

Caramel Custard 30                           Coupe St. Jacques 60

Coinfiture de Bar-le-Duc 40

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ICES IN SOUVENIRS 75

Vanilla, Strawberry, Pistache, Coffee or Chocolate ice Cream 25            Mixed 30

Apricot, Raspberry, Lemon, Orange or Pineapple Water Ice 25

French Coffee, Cup 15       Turkish Coffee 20

APOLLINARIS 40 20        JOHANNIS 40 20

Tansan Japanese Mineral Water (New) 40 20

In my perfect fantasy world I would provide you with a recipe for every single dish on this menu, but sadly, real life gets in the way sometimes. I give you a single recipe for one of the very fine appetisers enjoyed by the guests at the Waldorf in 1906.

Canape Lorenzo.

Cut out from an American bread six slices, the width of the bread, one-quarter of an inch in thickness; neatly pare off the crust, fry them in a sautoire with half an ounce of butter, so as to have them of a light brown color. Boil eighteen hard-shelled crabs in salted water for twelve minutes, remove them, and let cool until they can be handled with bare hands; then remove the upper shell, and with the aid of a pointed knife pick out all the meat; crack both claws, pick the meat out also; place the meat on a plate, season with a tablespoonful of salt and a saltspoonful of red pepper. Place one ounce of butter in a saucepan with half a medium-sized, sound, peeled, and very finely chopped-up onion. Cook on a moderate fire for two minutes, being very careful not to let get brown. Add two tablespoonfuls of flour, stirring constantly for two minutes; then add one gill of broth, stir well again for five minutes while slowly cooking. Add now the crab-meat, and cook for fifteen minutes more, lightly stirring with a wooden spoon once in a while. Transfer it into a vessel and let cool for fifteen minutes. Place a tablespoonful of good butter in a sautoire on a hot stove, mix in well together one tablespoonful of flour, and cook very slowly for three minutes. Add two ounces of grated Parmesan cheese, and the same quantity of grated Swiss cheese; stir all well together. Then place in a vessel and let cool. Place a. layer of crab forcemeat on each toast a quarter of an inch thick. Divide the prepared cheese, etc., into six equal parts, giving them a ball-shaped form two inches in diameter .Arrange them over the layer of the crab forcemeat right in the centre. Place them on a silver dish, and bake in a brisk oven for five minutes. Then take out from the oven, and send to the table in the same dish.

The Table: How to buy food, how to cook it, and how to serve it (1895) by Alessandro Filippini.

Happy New Year to you all, and thank you for reading!