Spring Cobb Salad

Spring Cobb Salad

Serves: 4-6

Prep Time: 30 minutes | Cook Time: 20 minutes | Total Time: 50 minutes

Ingredients:

For the Chicken:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon sweet paprika

For the Salad:

• 6 slices Red Barn Markets Double Smoked Bacon
• Water, for boiling
• 4 large eggs
• 1 bunch asparagus, trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces
• 1 cup green peas (fresh or frozen)
• 1 bunch radish, thinly sliced
• 3 cups fresh spinach leaves
• 3 cups green leaf lettuce, cut into 1-inch pieces

For the Dressing:

• ¼ cup lemon juice (from 1-2 lemons)
• 3 tablespoons chives, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons shallot, finely chopped
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

Directions:

To Prepare the Bacon:

1. Heat a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the bacon to the pan and fry for 3-4 minutes per side, or until the bacon is crispy.
2. Remove from the pan and set aside to cool before chopping into 2-cm pieces.
3. Drain all but 1 tablespoon of bacon fat from the pan.

To Prepare the Chicken:

4. Use a sharp knife to slice the chicken breasts through the middle to create 4 thin chicken breasts. Place the chicken breasts in a bowl and season with the olive oil, salt, black pepper, and paprika.
5. Heat a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Once hot add the seasoned chicken breasts to the pan. Fry for 3-4 minutes per side, or until the chicken is fully cooked through.
6. Remove from the pan and cover with aluminum foil. Allow the chicken to rest for 15 minutes before chopping into 2-cm cubes.

To Prepare the Eggs:

7. While the chicken is resting, prepare the eggs. Bring a small pot of water to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, carefully add the eggs to the pot. Reduce the heat to medium and cook, uncovered, for 10 minutes.
8. Once the eggs are cooked, drain the water from the pot and run cold water over the eggs to cool them down. Let the eggs stand in the cold water for 5 minutes before peeling and slicing into quarters.

To Prepare the Asparagus & Peas:

9. Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, add the trimmed asparagus and cook for 2-3 minutes, until the asparagus is bright green.
10. 30 seconds before the asparagus is cooked, add the peas to the pot and cook for 30 seconds.
11. Drain the asparagus and peas into a colander and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking.
12. Place in a salad spinner (or between a clean kitchen towel) to remove any excess water. Set aside.

To Prepare the Salad Dressing:

13. To prepare the salad dressing, add the lemon juice, chives, shallot, salt, pepper, and Dijon mustard to a bowl. Use a whisk to combine.
14. Slowly drizzle the olive oil into the bowl to create an emulsion, then set aside.

To Arrange the Salad:

15. To arrange the salad, mix the green leaf lettuce and spinach together and place on a large platter.
16. Top with a row of bacon, followed by rows of asparagus, diced chicken, radish, peas, and egg.
17. Drizzle the dressing over the salad and serve immediately. Enjoy!