Cobb Salad

I had recently purchased a book called, Working the Plate and saw how lovely this salad was presented. It inspired me to want to make it. The Cobb salad is a garden salad created by Robert Cobb and was a signature menu item of the legendary Brown Derby, a landmark restaurant in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California.

Serves 4
recipe from Simply Recipes

1/2 head of romaine
1/2 head of Boston lettuce
1 small bunch of frisée (curly endive)
1/2 bunch of watercress, coarse stems discarded
All lettuces should be rinsed, spun or patted dry, and coarsely chopped
6 slices of bacon
2 ripe avocados, seed removed, peeled, and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 whole skinless boneless chicken breast (about 3/4 pound total), halved, cooked, and diced
1 tomato, seeded and chopped fine
2 hard-boiled large eggs, separated, the yolk finely chopped and the white finely chopped
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives

1/3 cup red-wine vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon-style mustard
1-2 teaspoons sugar
Salt and pepper
2/3 cup olive oil
1/2 cup finely grated Roquefort

In a large salad bowl, toss together well the various lettuces and watercress. Cook the bacon in a skillet on medium heat until crisp on both sides. Remove from skillet and lay out on paper towels to absorb the excess fat. Allow the bacon to cool. Crumble the bacon and set aside.

To compose the salad, arrange the chicken, the bacon, the tomato, and the avocado decoratively over the greens and garnish the salad with the grated egg and the chives.

In a small bowl whisk together the vinegar, the mustard, and salt and pepper to taste, add the oil in a slow stream, whisking, and whisk the dressing until it is emulsified. Stir in the Roquefort. Add sugar to taste, 1/2 teaspoon at a time. Whisk the dressing. Serve separately or toss in with the salad.

The Culinary Chase’s Note: I can’t remember ever having this salad but it certainly was a cornucopia of flavors and textures. I suggest using only 1/4 cup of red wine vinegar as I found 1/3 cup too strong even with the added sugar. That being said, it’s a salad I’ll definitely make again! Cheers!