Cobb Salad with Chicken, Bacon and Avocado

Ingredients

For the recipe

• 450 g boneless, skinless chicken breast, raw weight
• 1 tablespoon olive oil (15 ml; approximately 13.5 g), for cooking the chicken
• 6 slices streaky bacon (approximately 180 g raw; about 60 g after cooking and draining)
• 4 large eggs, approximately 200 g edible weight without shells
• 300 g romaine lettuce, trimmed weight
• 250 g cherry tomatoes, halved
• 200 g ripe avocado flesh, from approximately 1 large or 2 small avocados
• 80 g blue cheese, crumbled
• 10 g fresh chives, finely sliced
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (45 ml; approximately 40.5 g), for the dressing
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar (30 ml)
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard (10 g)
• 1 small garlic clove (3 g), finely grated
• 1 tablespoon cold water (15 ml), for the dressing
• 3/8 teaspoon fine salt (approximately 2.25 g), divided: 1/4 teaspoon for the chicken and 1/8 teaspoon for the dressing
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper (approximately 1 g), divided equally between chicken and dressing
• Water for boiling the eggs and ice water for cooling them, as needed

Instructions

1. Wash and thoroughly dry the romaine and tomatoes, then set aside. Use a separate board and utensils for the raw chicken so its juices cannot touch the salad ingredients. Do not rinse the chicken.
2. Place the eggs in a saucepan and cover with cold water by about 2.5 cm. Bring to a boil, reduce to a gentle simmer and cook for 10-12 minutes, until the whites and yolks are firm. Transfer to ice water for 5 minutes, then peel and quarter. Cook the bacon while the eggs simmer.
3. Arrange the bacon in a large cold frying pan in a single layer. Set over medium heat and cook for 8-12 minutes, turning as needed, until crisp and well rendered. Transfer to paper towels, cool and crumble. For the stated nutrition estimate, use approximately 60 g cooked, drained bacon. Carefully discard the rendered fat and wipe out the pan.
4. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels. Place between sheets of baking paper and pound the thickest parts to an even 1.5-2 cm thickness. Season with the 1/4 teaspoon salt and half the black pepper reserved for the chicken.
5. Heat the 1 tablespoon cooking oil in the wiped pan over medium-high heat. Add the chicken, lower the heat to medium and cook for about 5-7 minutes per side. Check the thickest part with a food thermometer; it must reach 74°C / 165°F. Continue cooking as needed rather than relying on time or color alone.
6. Transfer the cooked chicken to a clean board and rest for 5 minutes. Cut into bite-size pieces. Allow it to stop steaming before putting it on the lettuce; refrigerate promptly in a shallow container if assembling the salad later.
7. Whisk the red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, grated garlic, cold water, remaining 1/8 teaspoon salt and remaining black pepper in a bowl. Slowly whisk in the 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil until the dressing is lightly emulsified.
8. Chop the dry romaine into bite-size pieces. Just before serving, halve and pit the avocados and cut the measured flesh into cubes. Keep the eggs, chicken, bacon, tomatoes, avocado and blue cheese separate for arranging.
9. Toss the lettuce with 2 tablespoons of the dressing and divide between four wide bowls. Arrange equal portions of chicken, bacon, tomato, avocado, egg and blue cheese in rows over each bowl. Each serving should have one whole egg, cut into quarters.
10. Whisk the remaining dressing again, drizzle it evenly over the four salads and scatter with chives. Serve immediately. Refrigerate perishable components within 2 hours, or within 1 hour when the surrounding temperature exceeds 32°C / 90°F.