Cobb salad makes an impression
After what was The Winter that Wouldn’t End, the sun has shone, temps have risen, and all that snow has finally seeped into the soil. Can I get an amen? Oh what a feeling to pull the patio furniture from the garage and enjoy a coffee on the deck. Spring has finally sprung, and glory be, I’m ready for it.
To usher in the season of dining al fresco, I made a really big salad. I mean a REALLY big salad. So big that I had to drive to HomeSense to find a platter big enough to hold it. I was making Cobb salad, after all, and it’s a salad that needs to be presented, not just served.
So, what is Cobb salad? Apparently it was created in 1937, when Bob Cobb, then owner of The Brown Derby in Hollywood, prowled in his restaurant’s kitchen looking for a snack. Opening the refrigerator, he pulled out a little of this and that: a head of lettuce, an avocado, some romaine, tomatoes, some cold, cooked chicken breast, a hardboiled egg, chives, cheese, French dressing, and some crisp bacon. The Cobb salad was born.
It was so tasty that Sid Grauman, who was with Cobb that night, asked for a “Cobb Salad” the next day. This big salad was put on the menu and the rest is history. Of course, there have been many variations over the decades, but as far as salads go, it’s dynamite. And worth the brand new platter it’s sitting on.
I can’t remember the last time I bought iceberg lettuce, but its juicy crunch is ideal for the Cobb. Don’t be shy with the bacon, and if you mangle the hard boiled
eggs while peeling them, no one will care because they get chopped up anyway. My guests weren’t crazy about the blue cheese, so I left it off. I know, how very accommodating of me.
The dressing is quite fabulous. I would like to make more just to pour on all of the forthcoming summer salads.
The real star of the show is the Cajun spiced chicken and corn. I mixed up a whole whack of spices and coated the chicken with it, tbsp of olive oil and 2 tsp of the spice mixture. Stir well. At the halfway point of roasting the chicken, spread the corn on the same baking sheet as the chicken, making sure it is in an even layer. Roast for 15 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked.
4. To make dressing, whisk all ingredients in a medium bowl with the remaining spice mixture. Season with salt and pepper.
5. When the chicken and corn are cooked, remove from the oven. Place the chicken on a plate, cover with foil and let rest for 15 minutes before slicing.
6. On a large platter, place the chopped iceberg lettuce on the bottom. Arrange the remaining salad ingredients in an eyecatching fashion. Add the sliced chicken and roasted corn. Drizzle with the honey Dijon dressing and serve immediately.
tossed and roasted the canned corn (yes, canned corn!) with it and snuck some into the dressing. Roasting the corn deepens the flavour and now that you’ve done it, you’ll want to add it to other salads, wraps, and snacks.
Sure, the list of ingredients is long, and there is a little bit of prep involved, but on a warm spring day, when you gather your friends around the dusted-off patio table, it’s a great meal to tuck into.