Serves 4­­

The hash browns get crisper if you cut them into squares before cooking them, but cutting the frozen patties requires a little muscle and turning them in the skillet requires patience and a good set of spring-action tongs. If you want to keep it simple, just heat the oil (you’ll need 2 tablespoons instead of 1) in the skillet and fry the whole patties, cutting them into squares once they’ve crisped up.

Use a microplane, if you’ve got one, for grating the cheese that gets stirred into the dressing. Switch to a coarse grater or even a vegetable peeler for the cheese that’s sprinkled over the finished salad.

For the Caesar Dressing:
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 1/2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 medium garlic clove, minced to paste
1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire
Salt and ground black pepper
5 tablespoons pure olive oil
1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese (preferably Parmigiano Reggiano),

For the Salad:
4 frozen hash brown patties, still frozen, cut into 1-inch squares  (see above)
1 generous tablespoons olive oil
8 cups chopped lettuce from 3 large romaine hearts
3 hard-boiled eggs, chopped
1/4 cup coarsely grated Parmesan cheese (preferably Parmigiano Reggiano)

Whisk lemon juice, mayonnaise, garlic, Worcestershire, a pinch of salt, and a few grinds of pepper in a small bowl. Slowly whisk in oil to make a creamy dressing, stir in cheese, and set aside.

Meanwhile, heat a 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Place frozen hash brown cubes in medium bowl. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons oil; toss to coat. Add hash browns to hot skillet; toast, turning the cubes only once, until crisp and golden brown, about 10 minutes. Turn off skillet and let hash browns stand until ready to toss.

Place lettuce and eggs in a large bowl; add dressing and toss to coat. Add hash browns; toss again. Add cheese: toss once more. Serve immediately, sprinkling each salad with a little more Parmesan cheese if you like.