Cobb Salad

3 hard-cooked eggs, peeled
8 bacon slices
1 head romaine lettuce, leaves separated and torn into bite-size pieces
Fresh herbs (your choice)
2 cups chopped watercress lettuce (tough stems removed)
4 cups diced cooked turkey or chicken
2 avocados, pitted, peeled and diced
2 tomatoes, chopped
1/4 pound plus 1 ounce Roquefort cheese, crumbled
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Several long chive lengths for garnish

Cut the hard-cooked eggs into 1/2-inch dice. Set aside.

In a large frying pan over medium heat, fry the bacon about 10 minutes or until crisp; transfer to paper towels to drain. When cool, crumble and set aside.

Make a bed of romaine lettuce on a platter, shallow bowl, or individual serving plates. Arrange the eggs, bacon, herbs, watercress, turkey or chicken, avocados, tomatoes, and the 1/4 pound Roquefort cheese in a neat pattern atop the lettuce, in rows or in a checkerboard pattern (see photo above), covering the lettuce almost completely.

In a small bowl, whisk together the wine vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, garlic, salt, and pepper. Using a fork, mash in the remaining 1 ounce Roquefort cheese to make a paste. While whisking, slowly drizzle in the olive oil to form a thick dressing.

Pour a little of the dressing over the salad and garnish with chive lengths. Serve immediately. Pass the remaining dressing at the table.

Makes 4 to 6 servings.

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