Cobb Salad

Ingredients

• 2 skinless chicken breasts, about 350g total
• 6 rashers streaky bacon
• 4 large eggs
• 1 romaine heart, finely chopped
• 1 head chicory or a handful of watercress, chopped
• 2 ripe avocados, diced
• 250g cherry tomatoes, halved
• 120g Roquefort or other blue cheese, crumbled
• 2 tbsp snipped chives
• 60ml red wine vinegar
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1 small garlic clove, crushed
• 1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 150ml olive oil
• Salt and black pepper

Before you cook

• Chop the romaine and chicory finely and keep them cold
• Halve the tomatoes and crumble the blue cheese
• Whisk the vinegar, Dijon, garlic, Worcestershire, salt and pepper together, then whisk in the olive oil in a thin stream until emulsified
• Dice the avocado only at the last moment so it does not brown

Steps

1. Lower the eggs into boiling water and cook them for 9 minutes, then cool them in iced water and peel and quarter them.
2. Lay the bacon in a cold skillet and cook it over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes, turning once, until crisp.
3. Drain the bacon on kitchen paper and chop it roughly once cool.
4. Season the chicken breasts well and cook them in the bacon fat over medium heat for 6 minutes per side, until the juices run clear and a thermometer reads 74C.
5. Rest the chicken for 5 minutes, then cut it into 1.5cm dice.
6. Toss the chopped leaves with a third of the dressing and spread them across a wide platter.
7. Lay the chicken, bacon, egg, avocado, tomato and blue cheese in separate parallel stripes over the leaves.
8. Scatter the chives across the whole platter and grind over black pepper.
9. Bring the remaining dressing to the table and pour it over just before you toss and serve.