Cobb Recipe

Chop and halve

Wash and dry romaine lettuce thoroughly. Chop into roughly 1-inch pieces to yield about 6 cups. Rinse grape tomatoes and slice each in half. Peel and dice the avocado into 1/2-inch pieces; toss gently with a teaspoon of lemon juice if you have it to slow browning (optional).

Hard-boil eggs

Place 4 eggs in a saucepan and cover with cold water by 1 inch. Bring to a gentle boil over medium-high heat, then cover, remove from heat, and let sit 10 minutes. Transfer eggs to an ice bath for 5 minutes, then peel and quarter.

Cook bacon

Cook 6 slices of bacon until crisp either in a skillet over medium heat (about 8–10 minutes, turning occasionally) or on a rimmed baking sheet in a 400°F (200°C) oven for 12–15 minutes. Drain on paper towels and chop into bite-size pieces.

In a small bowl or jar, combine 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar, 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, 1 teaspoon honey, and 1 minced garlic clove. Whisk while slowly streaming in 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil until emulsified. Season with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper. Taste and adjust acidity or seasoning as needed.

On a large platter or in a wide shallow bowl, spread the chopped romaine evenly as the base.

Arrange the quartered hard-boiled eggs, halved grape tomatoes, diced avocado, chopped bacon, and dried cranberries in separate rows or groups over the romaine so the components are visible (classic Cobb presentation).

Scatter the shaved Parmesan over the top.

Drizzle the prepared vinaigrette evenly over the salad (start with about half, then add more to taste) and gently toss portions at the table or toss the whole salad just before serving so avocado retains shape.