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A Cobb salad is a near perfect bowl of lettuce, protein, fat and fruits that act like vegetables. Recipes vary, but generally speaking, this entree salad has crisp lettuce, blue cheese, hard-boiled eggs, tomatoes, avocados, bacon and chicken. No, it's not the healthiest salad, but wow is it delightful in its decadence.
So how do you improve such a perfect dish? We've said it before, and we'll say it again: there's one surefire way to improve on virtually any recipe: bacon. But how do take something that already calls for bacon to the next level? You add avocado. And if a dish has both? You've only got one option left: the ultimate mic drop – lobster.
This lobster Cobb salad was created by critically acclaimed chef David Burke of BLT Prime – a man who knows how to take things up a notch. Burke replaced chicken with lobster, and included four types of greens – romaine, watercress, iceberg, and arugula – along with the rest of the usual suspect ingredients for this upscale version of the classic.
But the key to this salad isn't just the lobster; it's Burke's dressing, a mixture of low-fat mayonnaise and buttermilk, along with scallions, parsley, garlic, oregano and chili powder. The result is a flavor and texture wonderland you're sure to add to regular dinner repertoire.
*Photo and recipe by David Burke, via The Food Channel.
Ingredients
For the dressing
- 3/4 cup low-fat mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup low-fat buttermilk
- 1/4 cup coarsely chopped tarragon leaves
- 1 tablespoon scallion, coarsely chopped
- 1 tablespoon flat-leaf parsley, coarsely chopped
- 2 teaspoons garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice, freshly squeezed
- 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 pinch salt
For the salad
- 3 large eggs
- As needed fine sea salt
- 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
- 1 medium romaine lettuce head, cut into 1/8-inch-thick slices (about 4 cups total)
- 2 bunches watercress, tough stems discarded
- 1/2 small head of iceberg lettuce, cut into 1/8-inch-thick slices (about 2 cups)
- 3 cups packed arugula, cut into 1/8-inch-wide slices
- 1/2 cup scallions, green parts only, coarsely chopped
- 1/2 cup tarragon leaves, coarsely chopped
- 1/2 cup aged cheddar cheese, grated
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 one-pound lobsters (the cooked meat from each)
- As needed black pepper, freshly ground
- 1 avocado, peeled, pitted and cut into 1/8-inch-thick slices
- 4 slices crisp cooked bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
- For garnish srisped fried shallots
Preparation
To make the dressing
- Combine the ingredients and salt to taste in a bowl; whisk until blended. Cover and refrigerate until ready for use.
To make the salad
- Prepare an ice water bath and set aside.
- lace eggs and a pinch of salt in a heavy-bottomed pot with enough cold water to cover. Add the vinegar to keep the eggs from leaking out if their shells crack during cooking.
- Bring water to a boil over medium heat, then reduce the heat to low, cooking for 3 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the eggs to the ice-water bath to cool.
- Peel eggs and cut in half. In a large bowl, toss together the salad greens, scallions, 1/4-cup of the tarragon and the cheese.
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the lobster meat and cook for about 2 minutes on each side. Add the remaining 1/4-cup tarragon and season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer the lobster to a cutting board. Cut lobster meat into 1/2-inch pieces.
To assemble
- Season the salad greens with the dressing, salt and pepper to taste. Toss well. Top with lobster, avocado, egg halves, bacon and fried shallots. Serve immediately.