There are two standard breakfasts that my family eats during Pesach (Passover): Matzoh Cereal (which is basically cream of wheat, made of matzoh meal) and Matzoh Brei. I absolutely love both! Maybe it’s because I only eat them a few days a year and distance makes the heart grow fonder. Or maybe it’s just because I’m Jewish?
Pretty much, all Jews just love matzoh brei. Here’s a great line from Neil Kramer’s blog about the brei:
I love matzoh brei. If, for example, a beautiful woman invited me up to her apartment this week, and we made passionate love all night in her bedroom, I would wake up early the next morning to make her some Passover matzoh brei for breakfast, and after taking one bite, she would no doubt be praising the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
That pretty much sums it up.
What is matzoh brei? At it’s simplest, it is beaten eggs combined with softened matzoh, fried together. But like anything the tribe does, there must be various schools of thought, otherwise there can not be arguments (a mainstay of the Jewish tradition).
I found a fun interview between Jews: Mark Bittman and famed architect, Frank Gehry where they discuss matzoh brei. It’s worth a watch. Especially because they highlight the fact that there are at least two divisions of thought on brei. The first division is how wet the matzoh should be. I.e., should it be absolute mush or should it just be softened enough to crumble? I am absolutely in the latter camp. A second division, is whether the brei should be savory (salt & pepper) or sweet (sugar or jam). I am okay for either, but 95% of the time prepare it savory.
What they don’t discuss is a third division, which is most important to me: whether it should be cooked as a pancake or scrambled. By a wide margin, most people prepare it as a pancake-like dish. However, I always cook it scrambled. I think it comes out much better and really lets you get the flavors and texture.
Before we hit the recipe, I’ll mention fat. The absolutely traditional way to cook brei is in schmaltz (rendered chicken fat). My mother usually used butter, the more common approach these days. That way you can live long enough to have seconds. Because I don’t keep a Kosher for Passover (Kasher shel Pesach) home, I use cooking spray.
So, for a savory, scrambled matzoh brei, this is just about as easy as it gets!
Savory, Scrambled Matzoh Brei
~makes one serving. Scales easily: two eggs per two matzoh per person
Ingredients
- 2 Eggs
- 2 pieces Matzoh (not egg Matzoh)
- Kosher Salt & Black Pepper
Instructions
1. Scramble eggs in a large bowl.
2. Under warm, running tap water, rub fingers over one pieces of matzoh until the top layer becomes loose, that means it’s ready to break. Apply slight pressure until matzoh folds on itself. Fold until smaller pieces. Remove from water and let excess water run off, add to egg. Repeat for each piece of matzoh.
3. Fold egg and matzoh together while heating a non-stick frying pan with cooking spray. Add egg and matzoh to pan while stirring. Every few seconds fold matzoh around in pan, to keep it scrambled. To form a pancake, simply don’t move the matzoh, and press it to the shape of the pan.
4. When mostly dry (but not completely), remove to plate and season generously with kosher salt and lots of freshly ground black pepper.
I’ve made this several times, but I never knew to pre-moisten the matzoh. I wondered why mine was always dry, I just assumed that’s how you made it. Never looked at a recipe.
Ah yes. The reason I’m Jewish. I used to eat mine in bed because it’s so comforting…
I’m always facinated by Jewish food! One of these years, I’m going to have a passover dinner.
This was breakfast this morning! Made pancake style and served with grape jelly, delish!
Kel, you should! I’ll celebrate any holiday with food!
mine’s better
Carol, indeed! We’ll be posting yours up soon!
My recipe: Start with matzo farfel for more uniform crumbling. Moisten with cold water–I put the farfel in a strainer and run tap water over them. Mix with eggs (and vanilla, if you are doing a sweet brei.) Fry in a nonstick pan in butter after pressing the mixture flat. When the bottom is done turn over and fry the other side. (Hint: If you are not good at flipping you can place alarge plate over the pan, turn it over and slide the stuff off the plate into the pan again.) I serve it with maple syrup or jam. I think it would be a good base for Passover pizza.
Dick, the Passover Pizza idea sounds great!
Everyone has their own ideas about the perfect Maztoh Brei but this is the first recipe I’ve ever seen that is exactly like mine. It even looks exactly the same — the first photo perfectly captures what I think of when I hear the words Matzoh Brei. Thanks 🙂
fried matzoh is so easy to fix — and so consistently good with this keep-it-simple recipe. yes, the hot water rinse is the secret ingredient, maybe 1-2 seconds.
the sauce opportunities are lacking … a chutney?
spirits,
seth
Finally, my mother’s recipe. Thank you so much, going to make some now
Pancake or scrambled? We do live in a democracy but there can be no question as to which one: pancake always. Scrambled? Oy vey!
And yes, the flip is very important. With a large plate it’s very easy. Have always had it w/jam, but salsa or sugar sounds interesting. Save the syrup for pancakes and waffles, tho.
Happy eating.
Some other variations:
Add vanilla and/or almond extract
Add a teaspoon of bourbon or rum
Add raisins, currants or diced dried apricot
Add small pieces of fried bacon or pancetta
Serve with cinnamon sugar or creme fraiche
MMMM
If I’m making it like a pancake how thick should it be? Thanks!
Bacon?! Pancetta?! A shandeh!!
Bacon or Pancetta? With matzah? Oy vey!
Polly, here are instructions for the more pancake-like version. I’m going to guess that it’s about 1/3″ thick.
Alina, call it fusion?
Long ago, I started making Matzoh brei and do it often. I found a solution that my grandmother loved when I was younger. I soak my matzoh broken up into a salad spinner…Then Spin it to remove all the water possible and then add it to the eggs for scrambling along with other spices as desired