Rowed-Out Cobb Salad with Jammy Eggs

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

A classic Cobb built the way a good neighborhood kitchen does it: grilled chicken, smoky bacon, avocado and blue cheese laid out in tidy rows over chopped romaine, each component seasoned on its own so nothing tastes like filler. Jammy 7-minute eggs replace chalky hard-boiled ones, and a sharp red wine vinaigrette gets poured at the table.

Ingredients

• 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 1 1/4 lb total)
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 3/4 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder

• 3 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1 tsp honey
• 1 small shallot, minced
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper

• 6 slices thick-cut bacon
• 4 large eggs
• 1 large head romaine lettuce, chopped (about 8 cups)
• 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 large ripe avocado
• 1/2 lemon
• 4 oz blue cheese, crumbled
• 3 scallions, thinly sliced
• to taste flaky salt and black pepper

Instructions

1. Pat the chicken breasts dry and slice each in half horizontally to make 4 thin cutlets (this cooks fast and evenly, no pounding needed). Rub with the olive oil, then season both sides with the 3/4 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper, smoked paprika and garlic powder. Let sit at room temperature while you prep everything else.
2. Bring a saucepan of water to a rolling boil. Lower the eggs in with a spoon and boil for exactly 7 minutes for jammy yolks. Transfer immediately to a bowl of ice water and leave 5 minutes, then peel under a thin stream of cold running water. Halve lengthwise just before serving.
3. Lay the bacon in a cold large skillet and cook over medium heat, turning occasionally, 10–12 minutes until deeply crisp. Drain on paper towels, then chop into 1/2-inch pieces. Wipe the skillet clean but leave a thin film of fat if you're cooking the chicken indoors.
4. Heat a grill or grill pan to medium-high (about 425°F). Grill the chicken cutlets 3–4 minutes per side, until the internal temperature reads 165°F. Rest 5 minutes on a board, then slice crosswise into 1/2-inch strips. (Skillet method: 3 minutes per side over medium-high.)
5. Make the vinaigrette: whisk the red wine vinegar, Dijon, honey, minced shallot, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper in a small bowl. Stream in the 1/2 cup olive oil while whisking until emulsified. Taste and adjust — it should be assertively tangy since it dresses a lot of chicken and cheese.
6. Season each component on its own before it hits the plate: toss the chopped romaine with 2 tablespoons of the vinaigrette and a pinch of salt; toss the halved tomatoes with a pinch of salt and let them sit 5 minutes; dice the avocado and squeeze the lemon half over it with a pinch of flaky salt.
7. Spread the dressed romaine over a large platter or shallow wide bowl. Arrange the toppings in tidy parallel rows across the lettuce, leaving a little green showing between them: grilled chicken, bacon, tomatoes, avocado, blue cheese. Nestle the halved jammy eggs down the center and season the cut yolks with flaky salt and a crack of pepper.
8. Scatter the scallions over the top. Bring the remaining vinaigrette to the table and pour it over just before eating, then toss at the table so everyone sees the rows first.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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