Cobb salad: a summer banquet on a plate

This is a gateway salad to convert those who don’t usually eat their fill of greens. Bathed in a tangy dressing and layered with crispy bacon, buttery avocado and delicious chicken, it’s a salad that has it all. Served with some crusty bread, this is a veritable banquet on a hot summer’s day.

Initially, this reads as if it involves more work than your typical salad, with bacon, chicken and eggs needing to be cooked. But it’s worth it. Feel free to add your own twists, with thinly sliced red onion or a handful of olives being great additions.

If you have leftover chicken from a roast, it is the perfect recipe to use it up. You could also marinate the chicken in spices or herbs to add another flavour dimension. Lately I’m cooking chicken on the barbecue quite a lot and love the simplicity of it. Usually I don’t cook chicken all that much, apart from a traditional roast or slow cooked thighs. But I do love the smokiness the barbecue imparts and how easy it is to cook. As long as the chicken breasts are marinated in olive oil and citrus juices, they don’t dry out.

The traditional Cobb salad usually has blue cheese, but I found this a step too far with my own kids. I also think it’s decadent enough. But crumbling a little blue cheese or feta over the top does give it an extra layer of deliciousness.

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I’ve been adding Cashel Blue cheese to my fried onions for recent barbecues. It’s amazing with beef burgers or lamb chops. I finely slice three onions (I add sliced mushrooms too, if I have them ) and fry them in a little butter and oil, then add a splash of white wine or brandy. Finally, I stir through a few tablespoons of crumbled blue cheese and a little milk or cream and season it with plenty of black pepper. It’s the most addictive burger topping and so luxurious.

I’ve been growing my own salad leaves this summer, like so many people, and enjoying the simplicity of garden-to-plate eating. My children are discovering the beauty of being able to pick just what we need, moments before it’s eaten. As always, kids are more likely to eat something that they have helped to plant, water and harvest. They check on their radish first thing in the morning and their sunflower plants are all numbered to see whose will race to the sky first.

To make outdoor eating easier, I always gravitate towards one-dish dinners, something that can be carried outside with ease. As a bonus, the clean-up is a cinch.

COBB SALAD

Serves four to six

Ingredients
4 eggs
2 chicken breasts
200g bacon lardons
2tbsp apple cider vinegar
1tbsp Dijon mustard
60ml olive oil
½tsp honey
400g salad leaves
3 tomatoes, cut into thick wedges
1 ripe avocado, in thick slices
Sea salt and black pepper

Method
1 Boil the eggs for five minutes, drain and place in a bowl with ice and water. This will ensure you get a perfectly boiled egg that still has a soft yolk. Peel the eggs once cool and set aside.

2 Butterfly the chicken breasts flat (slice through the breast horizontally and open it up like a book), season with salt and brush with olive oil. Grill or barbecue till cooked through and then set aside.

3 Fry the bacon lardons in a dry pan till crispy. Set aside.

4 Pour the olive oil and vinegar into a small jar. Add the mustard, honey, salt and black pepper. Screw the lid on and shake till combined. Taste for seasoning.

5 To assemble the salad, layer the torn lettuce leaves on a large platter. Add the tomato and avocado slices, along with the chicken and eggs. Scatter the bacon lardons over the top, then drizzle everything with the dressing. Serve right away.