Brown Derby Cobb Salad

Living in Toronto, this past week has been abuzz with TIFF, the Toronto International Film Festival which is the second most important festival after Cannes.  This made me think about the Cobb Salad, the most famous dish to come out of Hollywood and enjoyed by stars for decades at the legendary and now defunct Brown Derby Restaurant.  

As the story goes, in 1937, owner Robert H. Cobb was wrapping things up at the end of the night when he found himself starved.  He looked around in the fridge and threw together some odds and ends which he shared with friend, Sid Grauman (yes, of Grauman's Chinese).  The next time the Grauman came in, he asked for the Cobb Salad and a classic was born.

After its intro on the menu, people became addicted to it.  Apparently, movie mogul Jack Warner sent his assistant out to fetch it for him daily. An episode of "I Love Lucy" even has William Holden ordering it for lunch.

The greens used were a combo of watercress, iceberg and chicory.   I'm just using crunchy romaine here which is what I had on hand. Also, it is to be sprinkled with chives which I didn't have but didn't miss at all.

This salad is so satisfying and delicious.  If you're watching your carbs, it's the perfect meal!

So take a bite out of a piece of Hollywood history!

Here's what you'll need:

                           2 poached chicken breasts*

                           4 slices bacon

                           1/2 C blue cheese

                           2 boiled eggs

                           12 cherry or grape tomatoes

                           1 avocado

                           Romaine lettuce (7 0z/198 gm prepared pack)

                                      * As a shortcut, I pre-cook skinless boneless breasts in the                                               oven then vacuum pack and freeze them for future use 
                                         - like this salad!

                           Dressing:

                           1/4 C canola oil

                           1/4 C extra-virgin olive oil

                           2 T red wine vinegar

                           1/2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice

                           1/2 tsp. dry mustard

                           1/4 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

                           1/8 tsp. sugar

                           1/4 t granulated garlic clove garlic, minced

                           Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

                           (Mix above ingredients in a screw top jar.  Shake well.)

 Chop the Romaine lettuce into ribbons.  

Divide onto 2 plates 

 Halve the tomatoes, lay in a line over greens on each plate.

Chop the eggs.  Lay half on each plate.

 

Cut bacon into pieces, 2 slices per person.

 

Chop a chicken breast per person... 

Chop avocado, divide equally... 

Now crumble cheese, a 1/4 C per plate.

Drizzle dressing over each salad.

And here it is.  

A Hollywood classic in your very own home!

And that's a wrap, folks!

The original Brown Derby in Hollywood.