Matzo Brei

Matzo and eggs go wonderfully well together in this appetizing Jewish dish.

Vegetarian. Hands-on time: 10 mins. Total time: 10 mins.

Contributed by Mike Lewis (September 2011).

Matzo brei is a popular Ashkenazi dish made with matzo and eggs. It's very easy to prepare, and makes a tasty dish for breakfast or lunch. It's usually eaten at Passover (Pasech), but in the North London Jewish home where I was brought up, it was a staple throughout the year.

I'm told that in the United States, matzo brei is served with sugar, maple syrup or jelly - or even cream. That sounds strange to me, as I've always regarded it as very much a savory dish. But each to his own omelette.

An authentic recipe for matzo brei will call for chicken fat (schmaltz). That's out of the question for us vegetarians, of course, but no matter. It tastes just as good - in fact, better - when cooked in butter.

This recipe will make a single serving of matzo brei. Double the quantities - and use a larger frying pan - to make two servings. But to serve the dish to three or more people, it's better to prepare it in smaller, separate batches.

Ingredients

• Two sheets of matzo
• Two eggs
• Salt and pepper to taste
• A large knob of butter

Method

Break the matzo into bite-sized chunks. Place these in a bowl, and cover with cold water. Leave to soak for two to three minutes.

Meanwhile, beat the eggs. Add the salt and pepper.

Drain the matzo in a sieve or colander, gently squeezing out any excess water. Add it to the beaten eggs.

Heat the butter in a small frying pan. Add the egg mixture. Cook over a gentle heat for a couple of minutes until the bottom is firm. Then turn the whole thing over, using a flat wooden spoon or spatula. Unlike with an omelette, you won't be able to flip it over in one go, but that doesn't matter. The result should be more like scrambled eggs than an omelette or pancake.

Cook the brei for another minute or two, if necessary turning it over again so that the egg is cooked through. Serve immediately.

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Note on quantities and temperatures:
Quantities are given in American (cups), imperial (oz, fl oz) and metric (g, ml) units. Do not mix the units - use one or other system throughout the recipe.
See also How much does a cup weigh?
oz = ounces, fl oz = fluid ounces, g = grams, ml = milliliters, tsp = teaspoons, tbsp = tablespoons.
Oven temperatures are given in degrees F (Fahrenheit) and C (Celsius).
For fan-assisted ovens, reduce the temperature by 20F or 10C.