Cobb Salad

Name: Cobb Salad
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 40 min
Cuisine: United States
Ingredients: 2 tbsp red wine vinegar; 1 tsp Dijon mustard; 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce; 1 tsp lemon juice; 1 clove garlic, finely grated; 90 ml (6 tbsp) extra-virgin olive oil; 3 g (½ tsp) fine sea salt; black pepper; 4 eggs; 150 g (5 oz) thick-cut smoked bacon, cut into 1 cm pieces; 2 romaine hearts, about 400 g, chopped; 50 g (2 cups) watercress or arugula, optional; 350 g (12 oz) cooked chicken, diced; leftover Roast Chicken is ideal; 2 ripe avocados, diced; 250 g (9 oz) cherry tomatoes, halved; 100 g (3½ oz) blue cheese (Roquefort, Gorgonzola), crumbled; 2 tbsp chives, snipped

Rows of chicken, bacon, egg, avocado, tomato and blue cheese

Serves: 4
Hands-on: 30 min
Total: 40 min
Level: Easy

A main-course salad laid out in neat stripes over crisp lettuce: roast chicken, crisp bacon, eggs, avocado, tomato and crumbled blue cheese, finished with a red-wine-and-mustard vinaigrette. Every component is simple; the satisfaction is in having all of them in one bowl.

Ingredients

Dressing

2 tbspred wine vinegar
1 tspDijon mustard
1 tspWorcestershire sauce
1 tsplemon juice
1 clovegarlicfinely grated
90 mlextra-virgin olive oil (6 tbsp)
3 gfine sea salt (½ tsp)
black pepper

Salad

4eggs
150 gthick-cut smoked bacon (5 oz)cut into 1 cm pieces
2romaine heartsabout 400 g, chopped
50 gwatercress or arugula (2 cups)optional
350 gcooked chicken (12 oz)diced; leftover Roast Chicken is ideal
2ripe avocadosdiced
250 gcherry tomatoes (9 oz)halved
100 gblue cheese (Roquefort, Gorgonzola) (3½ oz)crumbled
2 tbspchivessnipped

Allergens: egg, milk, mustard, fish, sulphites
Origin: United States (Los Angeles)

Method

Lower the eggs into boiling water and cook 10 minutes for firm but tender yolks. Cool in ice water, peel and chop. 10 min
Meanwhile, cook the bacon in a cold pan over medium heat, stirring, until crisp and the fat has rendered, 8–10 minutes. Drain on paper towels. 9 min
Shake all the dressing ingredients together in a jar until emulsified.
Toss the romaine and watercress with a third of the dressing and spread over a large platter or shallow bowl.
Arrange the chicken, bacon, egg, avocado, tomato and blue cheese on top in neat rows.
Scatter with chives. Show it off at the table, then drizzle with the remaining dressing and toss.

Why it works

Starting bacon in a cold pan renders the fat slowly so the meat crisps evenly instead of burning outside while staying flabby inside. Dressing the lettuce lightly first seasons the base so no bite is bland. Mustard acts as an emulsifier, holding the oil and vinegar together long enough to coat everything.

Common mistakes

Cutting the avocado too early: it browns. Do it last.
Dressing everything at once before serving: the bacon softens and the avocado smears. Toss at the table.
Overcooking eggs: 10 minutes, then ice water; longer gives gray yolks.

Variations

Blue cheese dressing: Whisk 60 g crumbled blue cheese with 60 g sour cream, 2 tbsp mayonnaise, 1 tbsp lemon juice and pepper and use instead of the vinaigrette.