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I love salads that have a lot of “stuff” in them, and the classic Cobb salad certainly fits the bill. It has everything you could want—lettuce, chicken, bacon, avocados, tomatoes, hard-boiled eggs, and blue cheese, all tossed in tangy red wine vinaigrette. The origin of the salad has different accounts, but the most popular story dates back to 1937 when Robert Cobb, the owner of the Brown Derby restaurant in Hollywood, CA, found himself hungry after closing time. He scavenged the fridge and stumbled upon a mix of leftovers—lettuce, tomatoes, avocado, cheese, and hard-boiled eggs. Adding some bacon, he tossed it all together with dressing, creating the iconic Cobb salad, which quickly became a signature dish of the restaurant.

What makes this Cobb salad really special is that, instead of using plain poached or grilled chicken, which can be a bit boring, the chicken is cooked in the rendered fat from the bacon — a technique I borrowed from a New York Times recipe by Alison Roman. Not only does it add a surprising amount of flavor to the salad, but it also makes full use of all of the ingredients. Go ahead and cook some extra bacon; it’s impossible to resist the temptation to sneak a few bites while you put the rest of the salad together.

Combine the shallot, vinegar, oil, mustard, salt, pepper, and sugar in a medium jar with a tight-fitting lid.

Screw on the lid and shake vigorously to emulsify. (Alternatively, whisk the ingredients together in a bowl.)

In a medium nonstick skillet over medium heat, cook the bacon.

Stir occasionally until crisp, 6 to 8 minutes.

Use a slotted spoon to transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate to drain, leaving the fat in the pan.

Season the chicken with the salt and add to the bacon fat in a single layer.

Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until cooked through, 3 to 5 minutes. Using the slotted spoon, remove the chicken to a plate and set aside to cool.

Put the romaine, chicken, and the tomatoes in a large mixing bowl. Give the dressing a shake to re-emulsify, then add three-quarters of it to the bowl; toss gently to combine. Add more dressing, little by little, until the greens are dressed to your liking. Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary.

Arrange the salad mixture on a serving platter or plates. Sprinkle the hard-boiled eggs, avocado, blue cheese (if using), and reserved bacon over the salad. Pass the pepper mill at the table.

By Jennifer Segal
Servings: 6 to 8
Prep Time: 25 Minutes
Cook Time: 15 Minutes
Total Time: 40 Minutes

Ingredients

For The Vinaigrette

For The Salad

Instructions

Make the Vinaigrette: Combine the shallot, vinegar, oil, mustard, salt, pepper, and sugar in a medium jar with a tight-fitting lid; screw on the lid and shake vigorously to emulsify. (Alternatively, whisk the ingredients together in a bowl.)

Make the salad: In a medium nonstick skillet over medium heat, cook the bacon, stirring occasionally, until crisp, 6 to 8 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate to drain, leaving the fat in the pan. Season the chicken with the salt and add to the bacon fat in a single layer; cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until cooked through, 3 to 5 minutes. Using the slotted spoon, remove the chicken to a plate and set aside to cool.

Put the romaine, chicken, and the tomatoes in a large mixing bowl. Give the dressing a shake to re-emulsify, then add three-quarters of it to the bowl; toss gently to combine. Add more dressing, little by little, until the greens are dressed to your liking. Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary. Arrange the salad mixture on a serving platter or plates.

Sprinkle the hard-boiled eggs, avocado, blue cheese (if using), and reserved bacon over the salad. Pass the pepper mill at the table.

Make-Ahead Instructions: The vinaigrette can be made 2 days ahead and refrigerated.

Note: You can save yourself a step by purchasing packaged hard-boiled eggs at the grocery store (usually found near the fresh eggs). If you’d like to cook the eggs at home, use this proven method.

Pair With

Crusty Artisan Bread

This article was originally published on OnceUponaChef.com. Follow on Instagram.

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