All-American

The cobb salad was created nearly 80 years ago at the famous Hollywood Brown Derby restaurant and has been an American favorite ever since. I prefer to serve it as individual salads as opposed to presenting it on a large platter. That way it looks lovely for each guest. If served on a platter, it looks great for the first guest or two, but by the end of the line, all the “goodies” on top are either gone or mashed into a nasty-looking mess.

Classic Cobb Salad

Dressing
3/4 cup canola oil
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
3/4 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Salad
1 head iceberg lettuce, cored and thinly sliced
1 head romaine lettuce, thinly sliced
1 bunch watercress, leaves only
4 ounces blue cheese, crumbled
10 strips cooked bacon, roughly chopped
6 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and cut into wedges or slices
4 medium tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 boneless chicken breasts, cooked and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 avocados, peeled, pitted, and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 tablespoons chives, minced

Dressing:  Combine the canola oil, olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice, mustard, Worcestershire, sugar, and garlic in a food processor or blender.  Puree the ingredients to make a smooth dressing and season with salt and pepper.  Set aside.

Salad:  In a large bowl, combine the iceberg and romaine lettuces along with the watercress. Toss with 1/4 cup of the dressing.  Divide the greens between 8 salad plates.

Arrange the blue cheese, bacon, eggs, tomatoes, chicken, and avocado on top of the greens in wedges or neat rows.

To serve, drizzle salad with dressing, season with salt and pepper, and sprinkle with chives.

Serves 8