Cobb Salad

This week I looked in the fridge and saw all the makings of a Cobb Salad staring back at me – chicken, bacon, eggs, avocado, cheese, tomatoes and greens. I couldn’t stop thinking about it, so I finally got around to making it for dinner last night and I’m so glad I did. Not only was it delicious, but I have to admit that I love the presentation of this salad too. The neat lines of ingredients really pleases my organized mind.

Cobb Salad is the classic American salad. Legend has it that the first one was made one late night in 1937 when chef Robert Cobb of the famous Los Angeles restaurant, Brown Derby, needed to feed Sid Grauman late one night. It was such a smash hit, that movie stars began requesting “Cobb’s Salad” and it soon spread in popularity. Despite the fact that the iconic restaurant was torn down in the 80’s, the legacy of this salad continues to this day as a reminder of the Golden Age of Hollywood.

Here’s what you’ll need to make your own…

Dressing:
1/3 cup Olive Oil
1/4 cup Red Wine Vinegar
1 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
1/2 tsp Dijon Mustard
1 clove Garlic, crushed
1/2 tsp Black Pepper
1/4 tsp Salt

Salad:
1 head Romaine Lettuce, chopped
½ bunch Watercress, stems trimmed, chopped
2 ounces Blue Cheese, crumbled (or a milder cheese if you or your guests don’t like it, like me!)
6 strips Bacon, cooked and roughly chopped
3 hard boiled Eggs, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
2 medium Tomatoes, seeded and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 boneless skinless Chicken Breast, cooked and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
2 Avocados, peeled, pitted and cut into ½ inch cubes.
2 tbsp Chives, minced
Salt and Pepper to Taste

To make the dressing: In a bowl, whisk together, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, mustard and garlic. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil, while whisking constantly to form the dressing

To make the Salad: On a large platter, combine the lettuce and watercress and spread out as a large bed on the dish. Arrange the cheese, tomatoes, bacon, eggs, chicken and avocado on the top of the lettuce in neat rows.

To serve, drizzle with the dressing, season with salt and pepper and top with chives. You can also toss everything together in a bowl.

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