FOOD FOR THOUGHT: COBB SALAD?

I’ve a hunch that Cobb salad is one of the top three choices for ladies who lunch. Since arriving here in Vero Beach last January, I’ve munched on Cobb salads at seven different restaurants. It’s been chopped, stacked, tossed, layered or grilled, and always includes sliced chicken or turkey breast, hard-boiled eggs, tomatoes, avocado and crisp bacon.

The last time I ordered it, Mr. Wonderful looked at me and asked, “Why’s it called Cobb salad?’”  Which prompted me to start sleuthing.

The original Cobb salad was actually served as a late-night snack at the Brown Derby restaurant in Los Angeles in 1936. The owner, Mr. Robert H. Cobb (aha!), was about to close his kitchen when pal Sid Grauman (of the renowned Grauman’s Chinese Theater) popped into the restaurant. Sid was hungry and apparently had recently undergone major dental work. 

So Mr. Robert Cobb ransacked the restaurant refrigerators and pulled out a variety of lettuces, blue cheese, tomatoes, chives, hard-boiled eggs, avocado and chicken. He spotted a plate of cooked bacon sitting on one of the kitchen counters, so he added that to his improvised dish. After carefully minced all the ingredients, he tossed the mixture with a French dressing and presented the dish to his friend.

Sid Grauman gave the salad Five Stars! The next day it was added to the Brown Derby’s daily carte! Cobb salad became a local sensation! Hollywood biggies, like movie mogul Jack Warner, regularly dispatched his chauffeur to pick up a carton of the mouth-watering stuff.

Until the Brown Derby closed in 1985, it’s estimated the restaurant sold more than four million Cobb salads. The original had been made with a French dressing (a combination of red wine vinegar, olive oil, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, dry mustard and garlic) but, over the decades, blue cheese or ranch dressing became popular alternative toppings.

One urban myth suggests the Cobb salad was named for Ty Cobb, the “Georgia Peach” who played for the Detroit Tigers for 22 years. Nope.

A verified fact is that Jennifer Anniston, Lisa Kudrow and Courteney Cox ate Cobb salad every day on the set while filming “Friends.”  Cox said, “Our Cobb was actually doctored up because we were all watching our weight. So we had turkey bacon, garbanzo beans, bulgur, pistachios, parsley, mint and crumbled feta in it.”

Cobbs comes in all varieties. Some are garnished with shrimp, crabmeat, lobster or salmon. Southwest-style Cobb features cilantro, lime, black beans, corn, tortilla strips. Other Cobbs include pulled pork. There are also Buffalo chicken-style Cobbs, pasta salad Cobbs, even kale Cobb salads. 

Hungry for a Cobb yet?  

Here’s the ORIGINAL RECIPE from the Brown Derby:

Salad ingredients:

1/2 head lettuce (about 4 cups)

1 bunch watercress

1 small bunch chicory (about 2 1/2 cups)

1/2 head Romaine (2 1/2 cups) 

2 medium peeled tomatoes 

6 strips crisp bacon 

2 cooked and minced chicken breasts 

3 hard-boiled eggs

1 avocado 

1/2 cup crumbled Roquefort cheese

2 tbsp. chopped chives

Directions: 

Cut lettuce, half the watercress, chicory and romaine in fine pieces and arrange in large salad bowl. 

Cut tomatoes, bacon, chicken, eggs and avocado in small pieces and arrange, along with the crumbled Roquefort cheese, in strips on the greens.

Sprinkle finely-cut chives over the salad and garnish with remaining watercress.

Dressing Ingredients:

1/4 cup water

1/4 cup virgin olive oil

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

1/4 tsp. sugar

1 tsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice

2 tsp. salt

3/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

3/4 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

1/4 tsp. dry English mustard

1 small clove garlic minced

Directions: 

Blend well, then add olive oil, water and vinegar and blend again. Douse on salad, toss, serve immediately, enjoy!