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Cobb Salad

Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour

Ingredients

For the Salad

  • 2 skinless chicken breasts
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 eggs
  • 4 rashers streaky bacon
  • 2 heads cos romaine lettuce
  • 100 g watercress
  • 2 heads chicory sliced
  • 12 cherry tomatoes halved
  • 100 g crumbled blue cheese Roquefort is ideal
  • 1 ripe avocado
  • 1 small bunch fresh chives chopped

For the Dressing

  • ½ –1 teaspoon sugar or honey optional
  • 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 garlic clove crushed
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 80 ml light olive oil or another neutral cooking oil

Instructions

  1. Prepare the Chicken: You can either poach or pan-fry the chicken.
  2. For poaching, place the chicken breasts in lightly salted cold water and bring to a gentle simmer. Cook for about 10–15 minutes until fully cooked.
  3. For extra flavor, lightly flatten the chicken to an even thickness, season with salt, and let it rest for about 30 minutes. Then cook it in the same pan used for the bacon until golden and cooked through. Let the chicken rest before slicing.
  4. Place the eggs in a saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil, then remove the pan from the heat, cover, and let the eggs sit for 10 minutes for firm yolks. If you prefer softer eggs, cook for about 7 minutes instead. Transfer the eggs immediately into cold water to cool before peeling.
  5. Whisk together the red wine vinegar and sugar or honey until dissolved. Add Dijon mustard, crushed garlic, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, and a pinch of salt. Slowly whisk in the olive oil until smooth and well combined. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed.
  6. Fry the bacon until crispy, then transfer it to paper towels to drain. Once cooled, crumble or chop it into bite-sized pieces. If you're pan-frying the chicken, use the flavorful bacon fat left in the pan to cook it.
  7. Wash and thoroughly dry the lettuce, watercress, and chicory before slicing them into bite-sized pieces. Cut the cherry tomatoes in half, crumble the blue cheese, chop the chives, and dice the avocado just before serving to keep it fresh.
  8. Carefully peel the cooled eggs and dice the whites. Crumble the yolks separately for a traditional presentation, or simply slice the eggs if you prefer. Slice the rested chicken into thin strips.
  9. Place the lettuce, watercress, chicory, and chopped chives into a large bowl. Toss gently with enough dressing to lightly coat the leaves.
  10. Arrange the dressed greens on a serving platter or divide them among individual bowls. Neatly arrange rows of sliced chicken, crispy bacon, tomatoes, eggs, avocado, and blue cheese across the top.
  11. Finish with a light sprinkle of salt and black pepper over the tomatoes and avocado. Serve immediately with the remaining dressing on the side.