Cobb Salad

Cobb Salad David Rosengarten

Cobb salad

Arguably the world’s most famous chopped salad–and arguably the best thing to order from room service in a California hotel–the Cobb Salad was invented by Bob Cobb, manager of the legendary Brown Derby restaurant in Hollywood in the 1920s. The story goes that he threw it together out of left-overs in the restaurant’s fridge, that Jack Warner and his buddies wandered in–and that the Cobb Salad then and there joined the recently discovered Caesar Salad as the light meal of choice for the Hollywood set. The original recipe calls for “French Dressing“–though I’m not sure if that meant vinaigrette, or the orange stuff that was popular back then. You can also serve it with vinaigrette, Blue Cheese Dressing (there’s already blue cheese in the salad), or Buttermilk Ranch. However you dress it, make sure that the rows of ingredients which sit on top of the lettuce base are neat and orderly; it sounds silly, but the visual effect is really quite beautiful.

Makes 8 main-course luncheon servings

2 large, whole chicken breasts
1 lb. of sliced bacon
4 large Hass avocados
1 lemon
1 head Romaine lettuce, washed, dried and trimmed
1 head iceberg lettuce, washed, dried and trimmed
1 bunch watercress, washed, dried and trimmed
1 bunch chicory, washed, dried and trimmed
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 cup water
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 tablespoon salt
1/2 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tablespoon dry English mustard
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup olive oil
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
2 cups of finely crumbled blue cheese, preferably Roquefort
4 large tomatoes, cut into small cubes
6 hard-boiled eggs, cut into small cubes

1. Place chicken breasts in a large saucepan and just cover with cold water. Place pan over medium-high heat, bring to a gentle simmer, and adjust flame to keep liquid at a gentle simmer. Poach chicken until just cooked (the meat should be pure white with no pink showing); this will take 20-25 minutes.

2. When chicken is done, remove it from the hot water, and immediately place it in the refrigerator. When cool enough to handle, remove skin and bones; discard. Chop the meat into small cubes, and reserve meat in refrigerator.

3. Cook the bacon in a sauté pan (or pans) until it is fairly crisp. Drain on paper towels. When it is cool enough to handle, chop the bacon roughly. If the bacon pieces are sticking together, place them on a baking sheet into a 200-degree oven until they dry out a bit and separate. Reserve bacon.

4. Peel and stone the avocados, making sure to rub the exposed flesh with the juice of half a lemon as you work. Cut avocado flesh into small cubes, and toss with lemon juice, salt and pepper. Reserve, covered.

5. Chop Romaine, iceberg, watercress and chicory into small bits. Toss together. Reserve in the refrigerator, covered with damp paper towel.

6. Prepare dressing: Place the vinegar, water, sugar, salt, pepper, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, garlic and juice of remaining half lemon in the work bowl of a food processor. Blend for 10 seconds. Then, with the motor running, add the oils in a thin stream. When the dressing is done, adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Place in a jar and reserve in refrigerator.

7. Choose an enormous salad bowl, or a very large platter. Add the chopped greens to it; spread them across the bottom of the bowl or platter, forming an even base. Remove dressing jar from refrigerator, shake it, and pour enough dressing over the greens to moisten them well. Reserve extra dressing.

8. Arrange symmetrical, even, vertical rows of 6 ingredients–chicken, bacon, avocado, blue cheese, tomatoes and eggs–on the lettuce base. The 6 rows should lie next to each other, touching each other, from one side of the bowl or platter to the other.

9. Serve the bowl or platter, along with 8 dinner plates and extra dressing. Each diner helps himself or herself to a portion of the Cobb Salad. Diners may top salad with extra dressing, if desired.

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