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1
Hard-boil the eggs: lower them into simmering water and cook for 11 minutes, then transfer to iced water. Once cold, peel and dice to a small, uniform cut. Set aside. The yolk should be fully set with no grey ring at its edge — that is the sign they are done and no further.
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2
Cook the bacon in a dry pan over medium heat, turning as needed, until every rasher is deeply browned and brittle throughout. Drain on absorbent paper and crumble into pieces consistent with the other diced ingredients. The bacon must snap, not bend.
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3
Make the vinaigrette: whisk the red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, minced garlic, salt, and pepper together in a bowl until the salt dissolves. Pour in the olive oil in a slow, steady stream, whisking constantly, until the dressing is emulsified and slightly thickened. Taste: it must be tart and assertive — a mild dressing loses the salad.
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4
Prepare all remaining salad components — chicken, avocado, tomato, blue cheese, chives — to the same small, uniform dice or crumble as the egg and bacon. Consistency of cut determines whether every forkful contains multiple elements.
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5
Spread the mixed chopped romaine and iceberg lettuce in an even layer across a large, flat plate or wide shallow bowl. Arrange all remaining components — chicken, bacon, egg, avocado, tomato, blue cheese, chives — in parallel rows across the surface of the lettuce, each ingredient occupying its own stripe. The finished plate presents clear bands of colour: green, white, red, brown, blue. Serve the vinaigrette on the side or drizzle it over the composed rows at table.