The signature of this salad, in addition to the ingredients you use, is how it is presented. Clean, well-organized rows of ingredients, or isolated groupings is the best way to showcase the beauty of this dish. Great for a group and always well received at any food function.
Classic Cobb Salad
Ingredients:
2 romaine lettuce hearts 1 pint cherry tomatoes 4 large eggs – hard-boiled, cooled and peeled 1 12oz pkg bacon - cooked and cooled 2 large ripe avocados, pitted and peeled 1 small red onion onions 1 English cucumber 5 to 6 oz blue cheese, crumbled Chopped parsley, scallion or chive to garnish (optional)
Blue Cheese Dressing:
3 oz blue cheese, crumbled 1 cup mayonnaise 1/3 cup sour cream ¼ cup buttermilk Pinch of salt and pepper Chopped parsley or chive for color and flavor (optional)
Directions:
Using a large cutting board, start with your lettuce. Using a chef knife, slice length ways from the stem to the top of the greens, leaving the stem intact. Rotate once, and slice again until you have two main cuts along the lettuce. Now cut 1” strips of lettuce, starting at the top and working your way down to the stem so that your lettuce pieces are bite sized. Place lettuce into a large bowl that you will be using for serving, preferably one that has a wide opening.
Next, half the cherry tomatoes and arrange in a row on top of the cut lettuce. Cut the hard-boiled eggs into wedges or slices and arrange next to the tomatoes in a row. Chop the bacon into small pieces and crumbles and arrange on either side of the tomatoes or eggs. Halve and pit your avocados, then carefully peel. Place avocado on your cutting board, cut side down and slice wedges or thin slices. Arrange, in a row on your salad. Peel and halve your red onion, placing the cut side down on your cutting board. Remove the stem and heal portion of the onion and slice thin slices in the opposite direction, from side to side. Arrange slices on the salad, in a row next to previous addition. Next, slice your cucumber but cutting lengthwise into long quarters. Reverse the cut and slice 1/2 “ dices, discarding the ends. Arrange in a row on your salad. Lastly, place your crumbled blue cheese in the last row. Ultimately you should have neat arrangements of the classic salad toppings and by the end, no lettuce should be visible from below.
It is at your discretion in what order the arrangement will be presented. A good rule to follow is to alternate in the brightness of colors, meaning space out the cucumbers and avocados and the tomatoes and bacon, for a better pop of color.
Once salad is assembled, prepare the dressing. In a small bowl, add mayonnaise, sour cream and buttermilk and stir together. Add crumbled blue cheese, minced herbs of your choosing and season generously with pepper and a small pinch of salt. Place dressing in a serving dish or mason jar with a spoon and serve on the side.
~Serves six to eight people.
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