Veal Oscar is aculinary creation consisting ofsauteedveal cutlets topped withcrab (or occasionallylobster) meat, and anemulsified butter sauce such asHollandaise orBéarnaise.[1] Traditionally, Veal Oscar is garnished with two whiteasparagus spears.[2][3]
The dish was served for the first time on 18 September 1897 at theGrand Hôtel inStockholm for kingOscar II's 25th anniversary asregent of Sweden. The dish is said to be named after the king, who was especially partial to its ingredients.[4]
The dish was created by theFrenchPaul Edmond Malaise.[5] His masterpiece was a veal dish with choron sauce in the form of the letterO.[5] A lobster tail with truffle became a crown for the dish and two white asparagus spears were placed parallel to each other, forming theRoman numeralII (two).[5] This formed the crownedmonogram of the king.
The earliest verifiable source mentioning the dish isIduns kokbok (1911) containing a recipe for "filé à la Oscar" (recipe #93, pp. 59 - 60).[6] The dish is made of roasted veal and served with a sauce made of lobster and asparagus. The dish is garnished with the finest bits of lobster and asparagus without any hint that they would form king Oscar II's monogram.
In modern times, the dish is often made with steak.