Cobb Salad (Classic)

cobbsaladclassic2 This traditional cobb salad recipe is loaded with mixed leafy greens, vegetables, cooked chicken breast, crisp bacon and blue cheese for the perfect tasty meal. Cobb salad was created by Brown Derby restaurant owner Bob Cobb during the 1930s in Hollywood, California. There isn’t anything that makes a cobb salad a cobb salad outside of the traditional ingredients used, which is exactly what I did in this recipe. Rumor has it Bob was hungry one night and just started pulling stuff out of the refrigerator voila, the cobb salad was born. Cobb salad and cobb salad dressing over the years has been altered to people’s likings, which is fine, but it does change the traditional nature and intent of the recipe. You do have the freedom to alter this recipe, but in its original form, it’s absolutely delicious.

Salad:
½ head romaine
½ head Boston lettuce
1 small bunch frisée (curly endive)
½ bunch watercress, coarse stems discarded
6 slices bacon
2 ripe avocados, seed removed, peeled, and cut into ½" pieces
1 whole chicken breast, skinless, boneless, halved, cooked and diced (about ¾ lb total)
1 tomato, seeded and chopped
2 large eggs, hard-boiled, separated, the yolk finely chopped and the white finely chopped
2 Tbsp. fresh chives, chopped

Dressing:
⅓ cup red wine vinegar
1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
1-2 tsp. sugar
sea salt
black pepper, freshly ground
⅔ cup extra-virgin olive oil
½ cup Roquefort, finely grated

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.

Prepare the Lettuces:
All lettuces should be rinsed, spun or patted dry and coarsely chopped. In a large salad bowl, toss together well the various lettuces and watercress.

Compose the Salad:
Arrange the chicken, the bacon, the tomato, and the avocado decoratively over the greens and garnish the salad with the chopped egg and the chives.

Make the Vinaigrette:
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, ½ tsp. at a time. Whisk the dressing. Serve separately or toss in with the salad.

Makes 4 servings.

Cook's Notes:

Make-Ahead: This is salad is meant to be eaten right away, however, if you keep the ingredients separated after they are prepared you can make this 1 day ahead of time.
Storage: Keep covered and un-dressed for up to 3 days. If you can keep all of the ingredients separated and covered it will hold for up to 6 days in the refrigerator.