- 1 pound sliced bacon , coarsely chopped
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup tarragon-flavor vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon minced shallot
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 quart lightly packed watercress sprigs, rinsed and crisped
- 5 quarts finely shredded lettuce (use half butter lettuce and half iceberg or all iceberg)
- 2 firm-ripe tomatoes, rinsed, cored and chopped
- 1 1/2 cups thinly sliced skinned cooked chicken
- 2/3 cup crumbled blue cheese
- 2 hard-cooked large eggs, shelled and chopped
- 1 (1/2 pound) firm-ripe avocado, halved, pitted, peeled, and thinly sliced crosswise
- In a 10- to 12-inch frying pan over medium-high heat, stir bacon often until browned and crisp, 10 to 15 minutes; spoon out and discard fat in pan as it accumulates. With a slotted spoon, transfer bacon to towels to drain; discard remaining fat in pan.
- In a 1-cup glass measure or small bowl, mix olive oil, vinegar, mustard, shallot, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and 1/4 teaspoon salt.
- Set aside 4 to 6 watercress sprigs; coarsely chop remaining sprigs. In a large bowl, combine chopped watercress and lettuce. Add all but 2 tablespoons dressing and mix gently to coat.
- Arrange equal portions of lettuce mixture in wide, shallow bowls. On each, in pie-shaped wedges, arrange equal portions of bacon, tomatoes, chicken, blue cheese, eggs, and avocado.
- Spoon remaining dressing evenly over toppings. Garnish salads with reserved watercress sprigs. Add salt and pepper to taste.