Roast chicken, crispy bacon, crunchy croutons and creamy avocado with a tangy dressing – could this be the perfect salad?

Recipes Natalie Homan | Photographs Brendan Homan

Cobb salad
serves 2

1 chicken breast, skin on
2 tbsp olive oil
sea salt & cracked black pepper
2 thick slices of sourdough
4 belly bacon rashers
2 eggs
2 baby cos
2 tomatoes cut into wedges
1 avocado, quartered
1⁄3 cup basil leaves
2 tsp grated parmesan

vinaigrette
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
1⁄3 garlic clove, minced

Preheat oven to 200C. Heat an oven-safe frypan to med/high heat. Coat the chicken breast in 1 tbsp olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Add to the hot pan, skin side down, brown both sides, transfer to the oven and roast for 8 minutes, or until cooked through. Set aside to rest. Meanwhile, tear the sourdough into bite-sized pieces, place into a small bowl, drizzle with remaining olive oil, season with salt and pepper and toss to coat. Place on a baking paper-lined oven tray with the bacon and place into the oven until the bread is golden and the bacon is crispy. Boil the eggs to your liking and whisk the vinaigrette ingredients together in a small bowl.

To serve, divide baby cos lettuce leaves between two plates. Slice the chicken and place on the plates with the tomato and avocado. Halve the boiled eggs and add to the salad with the torn bacon. Drizzle the salads with vinaigrette, season with salt and pepper and sprinkle with basil and grated parmesan.

This recipe first appeared in the February 2022 issue of SALIFE magazine.