Elegant Romaine Chicken Lettuce Salad – A 15-Minute Gourmet Take on Paul Bocuse’s Café de Paris Salad

Let’s be real: most lettuce salads are just a sad pile of leaves pretending to be a meal. But not this one. This is the romaine lettuce recipe that makes you feel like you’ve just booked a table at a French bistro—without needing to put on real pants. Inspired by the legendary Paul Bocuse (yes, that Paul Bocuse), this fancy salad brings together tender chicken, creamy homemade mayo, and just enough anchovy drama to keep things interesting.

I first made this on a hot summer night when I didn’t want to cook but still wanted to flex on my dinner guests. They thought I had gone to culinary school. Joke’s on them—this is secretly one of the easiest summer salad recipes I’ve ever pulled off. Whether you’re searching for salad recipes for dinner or just trying to upgrade your usual romaine salad, this one’s a keeper.

Lettuce Salad Café de Paris by Paul Bocuse (But Make It American)

A lettuce salad that thinks it’s the star of a French cooking show—and honestly, it kind of is. With roast chicken, homemade mayo, anchovies, olives, and eggs, this dish is deceptively simple but tastes like it got a diploma from culinary school.

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Course Appetizer, Main Course

Cuisine French

Servings 4

Equipment

• Knife
• Cutting board
• Large mixing bowl
• Small bowl
• Whisk or handheld mixer
• Serving platter

Ingredients

  

• 1 large head of romaine lettuce
• 2 cups cooked chicken breast or thigh thinly sliced (roasted or boiled, served cold—not straight from the fridge)
• ½ cup mayonnaise homemade preferred, see below
• 8 green olives pitted and sliced
• 4 anchovy fillets in oil split lengthwise to make 8 strips
• 2 large hard-boiled eggs cut into wedges
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon white vinegar
• Salt
• Black pepper

For the homemade mayonnaise:

• 2 egg yolks
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• Pinch of salt

Instructions

• Make the Mayonnaise: In a small bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and lemon juice. Slowly drizzle in the vegetable oil while whisking constantly (a handheld mixer works great for this). Keep going until the mayo is thick and smooth. Add a pinch of salt and set aside.
  ½ cup mayonnaise, 2 egg yolks, 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, Pinch of salt, 1 cup vegetable oil
  
• Prep the Lettuce: Remove the outer leaves from the romaine, keeping the heart intact. Wash and dry everything thoroughly—nobody wants watery salad. Toss the outer leaves in a large bowl with olive oil, vinegar, a pinch of salt, and pepper. Reserve 1 tablespoon of this vinaigrette for the lettuce heart.
  1 large head of romaine lettuce, 1 tablespoon white vinegar, Salt, Black pepper, 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Soak the Heart: Place the romaine heart in the reserved vinaigrette and let it marinate for a few minutes. It’s the centerpiece, so treat it like salad royalty.
  
• Assemble the Salad: Arrange the dressed outer lettuce leaves on a serving platter. Fan the sliced chicken over the top like it's ready for a glam photo shoot. Spoon a thin layer of homemade mayo over the chicken for that creamy magic.
  2 cups cooked chicken breast or thigh
• Decorate Like a Pro: Top the salad with anchovy strips and sliced olives. Place the egg wedges around the platter, and nestle the vinaigrette-soaked lettuce heart right in the center.
  8 green olives, 4 anchovy fillets in oil, 2 large hard-boiled eggs
• Final Touch: Finish with a sprinkle of freshly ground black pepper and serve immediately. It’s lettuce, but make it legendary.

So You Think You’re Fancy? Tips for Nailing This Elegant Romaine Chicken Lettuce Salad Like a Pro (or a Hungry Fraud)

🐟 Anchovy Talk: Don’t Fear the Fillet
They’re not just for Caesar salad and salty pizza regrets. Use the good stuff packed in oil, slice ’em thin, and if you really hate them? Sub with capers. Or skip it and pretend you’re “editing for personal taste.”

🫒 Olives = Personality
Green olives give this salad its briny kick, but you do you. Kalamata? Go for it. No olives in the house? Toss in pickled onions, gherkins, or whatever makes your taste buds do a happy dance.

🍋 Vinaigrette Vibes: Keep It Chill
You only need olive oil, white vinegar, salt, and pepper. That’s it. Don’t start overthinking it and throwing Dijon in there unless you want to complicate your life. This ain’t that salad.

🥗 Assemble Like You’ve Watched Food Network Once
Fan out the chicken like a pro. Spoon the mayo like it’s aioli at a bougie restaurant. Stack the lettuce heart in the center like you’re plating for Gordon Ramsay. Will anyone notice? Maybe not. But you’ll know.

⏱️ Make-Ahead Magic (But Not Too Far Ahead)
You can prep everything a couple hours in advance—but don’t dress the lettuce or it’ll wilt like your motivation on a Monday. Wait until the last minute to assemble and serve that beauty fresh.