Cobb Salad

Had good friends over yesterday for our monthly get together and because of restricted diets, I decided to make a Cobb salad.  I have had this recipe for over 20 years.  When I got it, it said it was the original recipe and dressing for the first Cobb salad made.  Of course I had to make a few modifications to suit me. 

Story goes, one night in 1937, Bob Cobb, then owner of The Brown Derby, was prowled hungrily in his restaurant's kitchen for a snack. Opening the refrigerator, he pulled out a head of lettuce, an avocado, some romaine, watercress, tomatoes, some cold breast of chicken, a hard-boiled egg, chives, cheese and some old-fashioned French dressing. He started chopping, adding some crisp bacon and the Cobb salad was born.

I do not add watercress and today I had the cheese on the side.  It makes a nice presentation especially with my heirloom tomatoes and it is a meal in itself.  Like Bob, I went to the refrigerator and add what I had.  I added a little more color because I had some radishes and ran out of room so served the cheese on the side with crackers.  Serve with crackers or bread sticks to complete the meal. 

Cobb Salad

Bag of mixed lettuces
6 slices of bacon
2 ripe avocados
1 whole skinless boneless chicken breast

Chopped ham
2 tomatoes
3 hard boiled eggs
2 tbs. chopped fresh chives

½ cup of your favorite shredded cheese

Dressing (My variation)

1/3 cup red wine vinegar

1 tsp. lemon juice

1/3 cup water
1 tbsp. Dijon-style mustard
2 teaspoons sugar
Salt and pepper to taste
2/3 cup olive oil

In a large salad bowl, arrange lettuce leaves on bottom.

Original Cobb Salad Dressing                            

¼ cup water

¼ cup red wine vinegar                   

¼ tsp. sugar

1 tsp.freshly squeezed lemon juice                             

2 tsp.salt                             

¾ tsp.freshly ground black pepper              

¾  tsp. Worcestershire sauce                          

¼ tsp. dry English mustard                             

1 small clove garlic          

¼ cup full flavored olive oil                         

¾ cup salad oil

Fry the bacon in a skillet on medium heat until crisp on both sides. Remove from skillet and lay out on paper towels to absorb the excess fat. Allow the bacon to cool. Cut the bacon and set aside.  As usual, I like to use the precooked bacon that you only need microwave for 30 seconds to save time and mess.

Boil your hard eggs until hard boiled (10 minutes in boiling water).

Chop your ham and chicken in to small pieces.

Cut the avocados in half, take out the seed, scoop out the meat with a spoon and slice your avocado.  Squeeze lemon or lime juice over it so it does not turn brown. 

Using a kitchen scissor, cut your chives.

Compose the salad. Arrange the chicken, ham, the bacon, tomatoes, sliced eggs, and the avocado decoratively over the greens and garnish the salad with the  chives.

Dressing

In a mason jar, combine the vinegar, mustard, water, salt and pepper to taste, add the oil. Shake the jar until well blended.  Add sugar to taste, 1 teaspoon at a time and taste.   Serve separately on the side.

Keep cool in this heat, be happy and may God bless you and yours.