Coca-Cola® Cobb with Blue Cheese

This impressive stacked cobb salad is crowned on top with deeped-fried chicken thighs, first marinated overnight in Coca-Cola® prior to frying. Recipe by Chef Julian Alonzo.

Recipe Ingredients:

8 small or 4 large boneless, skinless chicken thighs
2 cups Coca-Cola® (do not use diet)
Oil for deep frying
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon paprika
1 cup buttermilk
1 1/3 to 1 2/3 cups ( 8 to 10 ounces) Wisconsin Blue Cheese, crumbled
2 avocados, seeded, peeled and diced
2 tomatoes, peeled, seeded and diced
1/2 pound bacon, chopped and fried crisp
2 oranges, segmented and peeled
4 ounces baby lettuces (3 to 4 cups)
4 ounces hearts of palm, thinly sliced
1 red onion, sliced

Cooking Directions:

1. Marinate chicken overnight in Coca Cola.
2. Drain and pat dry.
3. Heat oil in deep-fryer to 300°F (150°C).
4. Mix flour and paprika in wide, shallow bowl. Dip thighs in buttermilk and then in flour/paprika mixture. Deep fry for 10 minutes. Increase temperature to 350°F (175°C) and fry additional 3 minutes or until thoroughly cooked and golden brown. Drain; reserve.
5. Using circular, bottomless 5-inch mold, place mold on serving plate. Layer 1/4 of the blue cheese, 1/4 of the avocado, 1/4 of the tomato, 1/4 of the bacon and 1/4 of the oranges, in that order, in mold. Top with 1 large or 2 small chicken thighs. Top with lettuces. Remove mold. Repeat with remaining ingredients to make 4 servings.

Makes 4 servings.

Coca-Cola® is the registered trademark of The Coca Cola Company.

Recipe and photograph courtesy of Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board, Inc.