the classic recipe
Cobb salad
The Cobb salad is Hollywood elegance on a plate — orderly rows of chopped goods stretched across crisp shredded lettuce: bricks of chicken, crumbles of blue cheese, ribbons of bacon, cubes of avocado and tomato, hard-boiled egg quarters. Bob Cobb made it from late-night fridge leftovers in 1937, but the genius was in the arrangement: each row visible, each ingredient identifiable, dressing drizzled at the table. It's a salad that's also a feast — the only main-dish American salad that competes with Caesar for the top spot.
yields 4 servings·898 kcal per serving·cuisine American
The traditional recipe
Instructions
Make the vinaigrette: combine red wine vinegar, lemon juice, dry mustard, Worcestershire sauce, a pinch of sugar, and minced garlic in a jar. Season with kosher salt and black pepper. Add canola oil and extra-virgin olive oil (3:1 ratio), seal, and shake vigorously until emulsified. Taste and adjust. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Poach the chicken: place chicken breasts in a pot, cover with cold lightly salted water. Bring to a bare simmer over medium heat (never a rolling boil), then cook 15 minutes until just cooked through. Remove, cool slightly, then cut into ½-inch cubes. Season lightly.
Hard-boil the eggs: place eggs in cold water, bring to a boil, then cover and remove from heat. Let sit 10 minutes. Transfer to an ice bath, peel, and cut into ½-inch cubes or quarter lengthwise.
Cook the bacon: lay strips in a cold skillet over medium heat. Cook slowly, turning occasionally, until extremely crisp — the fat should be fully rendered and the strips should shatter when broken. Drain on paper towels, then roughly crumble or chop.
Prepare the vegetables: peel, seed, and cut tomatoes into ½-inch cubes. Halve and pit the avocado, cube it the same size. Keep avocado covered until assembly to prevent browning.
Prepare the salad base: finely shred iceberg lettuce and chop romaine and watercress. Toss together and spread in an even layer across a large chilled platter.
Arrange in rows: working from one end of the platter to the other, lay each topping in its own neat row across the width: chopped chicken, crumbled blue cheese, crumbled bacon, cubed avocado and tomato (side by side or alternating), and quartered hard-boiled eggs. Scatter chives over everything.
Serve immediately: bring the platter to the table with the vinaigrette on the side. Drizzle dressing generously over the salad just before eating. Toss gently at the table if desired, or serve as-is for visual impact.