Matzo Brei

Please welcome Hank Shaw as he shares a Passover treat with us. Hank made the savory version of matzo brei for my parents and me the other day, we loved it! ~Elise

I grew up in a New Jersey town with lots of Jewish people, so I received an early education in things like the Seder, or Purim or Hannukah. I remember this dish as a quick meal my friends’ mothers would make when I came over during Passover. I remember it as “maht-zuh-brai,” with the “brai” rhyming with “try.” I only later learned that it’s spelled matzo brei.

Matzo brei is a Jewish version of a universal breakfast: A bready thing with eggs. It’s sorta like huevos rancheros, or leftover dumplings and eggs. It is ridiculously simple, with as many incarnations as there are cooks.

Some like their matzo, which is an unleavened flatbread, heavily soaked in water or milk. Some don’t soak their matzo at all. A typical ratio of matzo to egg is 1:1, which is what we use here, but I’ve seen two matzo sheets to one egg as well as the reverse.

One sheet of matzo

Then there is the question: Savory or sweet?

Savory matzo brei is really best cooked in schmaltz, rendered chicken fat. No other cooking fat comes close to being as good, except maybe duck fat. But vegetable oil is commonly used, as is butter — so long as the butter is kosher if you are keeping kosher.

Butter is the best fat for sweet matzo brei, which is most often served with powdered sugar, cinnamon sugar, apple sauce or jam or preserves. I added a bit of orange flower water to the recipe for a bit of extra oomph, but you could skip it if you want.

Ever eaten matzo brei? If so, how is yours different from ours?

Matzo Brei Recipe

Traditional matzo is what we use here, but you could also use whole wheat, or even gluten-free matzo, and this will still work. Do not use egg matzo, as it is too soft. And some places sell a thicker type of handmade matzo, often from a special flour called shmura. It's fine to use, but you will need to soak it longer.

Ingredients

Savory Matzo Brei

• 4 Tbsp chicken fat or vegetable oil, divided
• 1 medium onion, sliced
• Pinch of sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 4 sheets of matzo
• Salt and black pepper
• Chives or parsley for garnish

Sweet Matzo Brei

• 4 large eggs
• 1 cup milk, plus 2 Tbsp
• Pinch of salt
• Pinch of sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon orange flower water (optional)
• 4 sheets matzo
• 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
• Cinnamon sugar, powdered sugar or apple sauce for garnish

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