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CHOW: Recipes: Matza Brie

Matza Brie Recipe
Matza Brie
Difficulty: Easy | Total Time: | Active Time: | Makes: 4 to 5 servings

We adapted this recipe for matza brie (also known as matzo brei_) from CHOW Editor in Chief Jane Goldman’s mother’s "_The Jewish Festival Cookbook":http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0486255735?ie=UTF8&tag=c037-20&linkCode=xm2&camp=1789&creativeASIN=0486255735, which is sadly out of print. A classic dish made from matzo that has been scalded in hot water, dipped in egg, and fried like French toast, matza brie is often eaten for breakfast during Passover but makes a nice snack or light meal any time of year.

This dish was featured as part of our Recipes for Passover photo gallery.

INGREDIENTS
  • 4 unsalted matzoh
  • 4 eggs
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • Dash freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon butter or vegetable oil
  • Cinnamon sugar or honey for serving (optional)
INSTRUCTIONS
  1. Bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil over high heat. Meanwhile, break the matzoth into 2-inch pieces and place in a colander in the sink. When the water is ready, brie, or scald, the matzoth by pouring the water over them.
  2. Place the eggs in a large bowl, season with the salt and pepper, and beat until broken up. Add the scalded matzoth and stir to evenly combine.
  3. Heat the butter or oil in a large non-stick frying pan over low heat until hot, about 3 minutes. Pour in the egg mixture and cook undisturbed until golden brown on one side, about 5 minutes. To flip, place a large plate over the matza brie and invert onto the plate. Slide back into the pan and cook until browned on the other side, about 3 minutes more. Serve hot, on a hot platter, as a large family-size pancake, with sugar that has been mixed with a dash of cinnamon, or with honey, if desired.
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POST A COMMENT |29 Comments

COMMENT

  • Can’t use it anymore, but the best fried matzoh is made with schmaltz. I used to make my own by saving chicken skin and freezing it through the year then rendering it into schmaltz and gribbines (Jewish popcorn). Alas too bad for the heart.

  • Hate to be pedantic, but BRIE is a cheese, and BREI is the traditional matzoh omelet (sweet or savory) made not just during Passover but any time of year. Now that I think of it, why not try brie in the brei? Sounds yummola to me.

  • I always make mine the way my grandmother taught me: Take two matzoh, break them up roughly in a bowl, and add warm water. Put a plate over the bowl, and drain out the excess liquid. We apparently prefer a more matzoh-y brie, because we only use 1 egg for every 2 matzoh. I add the egg after draining the matzoh, and then get my pan ready. I fry the brie in butter, and top with salt and pepper, and...+READ

    I always make mine the way my grandmother taught me: Take two matzoh, break them up roughly in a bowl, and add warm water. Put a plate over the bowl, and drain out the excess liquid. We apparently prefer a more matzoh-y brie, because we only use 1 egg for every 2 matzoh. I add the egg after draining the matzoh, and then get my pan ready. I fry the brie in butter, and top with salt and pepper, and sometimes garlic.-COLLAPSE

  • luv luv matzoh any way I can get it and am looking for things to fix for my soon to be son-in law both ways sound good

  • My mother never made Matzoh Brei! I use 1 egg per magzoh, break up the matzoh and soak in cold water just while I mix the eggs with a fork & add salt. I fry in butter and scramble like eggs. Don't like sweet matzoh brei or sweet gefillte fish.

  • All these variations sound so good....I'm getting hungry. I take matzo crackers, break them up, soak them in warm water for about 10 seconds, squeeze and drain then add beaten eggs (and by the way, we like more Matzo than egg) mix with a little salt,sometimes a little shredded cheddar cheese, and also sometimes I add salami thats been lightly cooked in butter.... mix it all up, then add to hot...+READ

    All these variations sound so good....I'm getting hungry. I take matzo crackers, break them up, soak them in warm water for about 10 seconds, squeeze and drain then add beaten eggs (and by the way, we like more Matzo than egg) mix with a little salt,sometimes a little shredded cheddar cheese, and also sometimes I add salami thats been lightly cooked in butter.... mix it all up, then add to hot pan that has salted butter in it and start scrambling it up, make sure the eggs cook of course but don't overcook or it wont be moist. Sounds boring.....but oh so good !!-COLLAPSE

  • All these variations sound so good....I'm getting hungry. I take matzo crackers, break them up, soak them in warm water for about 10 seconds, squeeze and drain then add beaten eggs (and by the way, we like more Matzo than egg) mix with a little salt,sometimes a little shredded cheddar cheese, and also sometimes I add salami thats been lightly cooked in butter.... mix it all up, then add to hot...+READ

    All these variations sound so good....I'm getting hungry. I take matzo crackers, break them up, soak them in warm water for about 10 seconds, squeeze and drain then add beaten eggs (and by the way, we like more Matzo than egg) mix with a little salt,sometimes a little shredded cheddar cheese, and also sometimes I add salami thats been lightly cooked in butter.... mix it all up, then add to hot pan that has salted butter in it and start scrambling it up, make sure the eggs cook of course but don't overcook or it wont be moist. Sounds boring.....but oh so good !!-COLLAPSE

  • I grew up with mom's matzoh brei different than any mentioned here. Mom would take one egg per matzoh. The matzoh would be broken up and scalded, and allowed to get very soft. Then mom would squeeze all the liquid out and mix the eggs and mushed matzoh together and scramble in a pan. Topped off with a little salt & pepper. It was ok because I was a kid and didn't know any better.
    I make a much...+READ

    I grew up with mom's matzoh brei different than any mentioned here. Mom would take one egg per matzoh. The matzoh would be broken up and scalded, and allowed to get very soft. Then mom would squeeze all the liquid out and mix the eggs and mushed matzoh together and scramble in a pan. Topped off with a little salt & pepper. It was ok because I was a kid and didn't know any better.
    I make a much better matzoh brei; 2 actually. My kids grew up loving it with cinnamon and sugar sprinkled on top because my (ex) husband liked the sweet way. My personal preference is making it with sauteed onions. yummmmmmmmmm-COLLAPSE

  • I understand those of you who were raised on savory matzo brei, but while my gefilte fish would never dare to be sweet. here I beg to differ.

    For me the best way to prepare it has always been almost exactly like French toast: Soften it under running water (NOT boiling) so it retains some texture. Mix it with egg, milk (or OMG half-and-half), a little sugar, a little vanilla and a pinch of good...+READ

    I understand those of you who were raised on savory matzo brei, but while my gefilte fish would never dare to be sweet. here I beg to differ.

    For me the best way to prepare it has always been almost exactly like French toast: Soften it under running water (NOT boiling) so it retains some texture. Mix it with egg, milk (or OMG half-and-half), a little sugar, a little vanilla and a pinch of good cinnamon. Cook it in a pan, not unlike scrambled eggs (no omelet style here).

    Sprinkle it with salt -- yes, salt -- and top it with maple syrup.

    Heaven.-COLLAPSE

  • Feh! I prefer the more savory version. I like to sautee onions and mushrooms to make it a side dish. Also throw in some frozen spinach. Kind of has a matzo-kugel kind of flavor. My mother has it for breakfast with sour cream and Kedem raspberry syrup! Also, delis seem to serve it in one huge piece sort of like a matzo fritata!

  • barcelona in his comments of 3rd June asks "...why add the religious significance to food... " well, some foods are directly connected to religious events or times such as Xmas cake, or hot Cross Buns, and this is equally true of 'Matzo Brei'. (I'd guess 80-90% of all Matzot are eaten at Passover time.).

    I wonder why it's irritating to barcelona to 'mention the religious significance' ? It's...+READ

    barcelona in his comments of 3rd June asks "...why add the religious significance to food... " well, some foods are directly connected to religious events or times such as Xmas cake, or hot Cross Buns, and this is equally true of 'Matzo Brei'. (I'd guess 80-90% of all Matzot are eaten at Passover time.).

    I wonder why it's irritating to barcelona to 'mention the religious significance' ? It's an interesting part of the heritage of any food, to know and understand how it fits into the life of the people who use / live with the dish...
    There are entire books written on Passover Cookery, due to the peculiar nature of the dietry regulations of this festival, and Matzo brei is just one of those dishes cooked in thousands of homes at the time of this particular festival once a year.

    As to his comments of' " sounds tasteless and poor", well each to his own opinion I guess ...
    D.-COLLAPSE

  • I make a lower cholesterol version with egg beaters and cooking spray instead of butter. It really tastes good. And I just top with salt. I too do not get the sweet thing with this, but I'm a salty girl!

  • sounds really tasteless and poor. why add the religious significance to food...

  • hmmm. I guess my mother solved the savory or sweet debate.. she used a small amount of chopped onion and salt in the mix, cooked it scrambled and we served it with hot maple syrup. What's not to lOVE??

  • Interesting...the method my mother taught me involved entirely different ratios. She would take three pieces of matzoh, add half a cup of hot milk, and an egg. The whole mess was poured into a buttered pan to fry for 2-3 minutes, then flipped and fried again for another 2-3 minutes. The end result is a layered cake of matzoh that we would then sprinkle with sugar and demolish.

    I've heard of...+READ

    Interesting...the method my mother taught me involved entirely different ratios. She would take three pieces of matzoh, add half a cup of hot milk, and an egg. The whole mess was poured into a buttered pan to fry for 2-3 minutes, then flipped and fried again for another 2-3 minutes. The end result is a layered cake of matzoh that we would then sprinkle with sugar and demolish.

    I've heard of savory versions as well, but I suspect this is the kosher l'pesach equivalent of mom's meat loaf. Everyone has their own version, but no one's is ever as good as your mother's-COLLAPSE

  • Good matzo brie variations. Now here's a new one from my mother - TSB. Fry the matzo and egg in heaping amount of onion flavored nyafat (vegetable shortening used as chicken fat substitute that turns your blood to STP in 5 minutes) - made by rokeach. Cover the pan with 1/4 inch nyafat + use medium high flame (otherwise will be graesy). Do the scrambled (i.e. not the omelette) method and don't...+READ

    Good matzo brie variations. Now here's a new one from my mother - TSB. Fry the matzo and egg in heaping amount of onion flavored nyafat (vegetable shortening used as chicken fat substitute that turns your blood to STP in 5 minutes) - made by rokeach. Cover the pan with 1/4 inch nyafat + use medium high flame (otherwise will be graesy). Do the scrambled (i.e. not the omelette) method and don't overload the pan - allow spacing for evenness in frying + let it sit first for initial browning. After eating take 80mg lipitor.-COLLAPSE

  • No, no, no -- matzo brie is best with a little horseradish. Some like it sweet, but some like it hot.

    Zatar sounds good too.

  • ... jam and honey and cinnamon .??? Uggh ! .. that may qualify as New England ersatz brie, but it's NOT matzoh brie.

    At Pesach, we ofter stir in some grated cheese for a little something extra , and that IS Ashkenazi acceptable !

    Also if you sprinkle over some 'Zatar' it adds a lovely subtle extra flavour. Zatar is translated as 'Biblical hyssop' ... green powder usually with some sesame...+READ

    ... jam and honey and cinnamon .??? Uggh ! .. that may qualify as New England ersatz brie, but it's NOT matzoh brie.

    At Pesach, we ofter stir in some grated cheese for a little something extra , and that IS Ashkenazi acceptable !

    Also if you sprinkle over some 'Zatar' it adds a lovely subtle extra flavour. Zatar is translated as 'Biblical hyssop' ... green powder usually with some sesame seeds mixed in ..( I always buy some when coming back from Israel)
    Hag Sameach ! Dale Sklar-COLLAPSE

  • This is sort of an abomination, but my husband likes when I make a lox eggs and onions matzo brei. I'll make it for him, but I prefer my recipe above.

  • My recipe differs a bit from those above. Not much, but I hold the matzo under a tap with cold running water. It should still be firm, but you can feel the flour get slightly soft, but does not lose it's body. I break it apart with my hands, and add the eggs, stirring it up with my hands, let it sit about 3 minutes. I heat a large skillet, and add a LOT of salt free butter. Then I add the matzo...+READ

    My recipe differs a bit from those above. Not much, but I hold the matzo under a tap with cold running water. It should still be firm, but you can feel the flour get slightly soft, but does not lose it's body. I break it apart with my hands, and add the eggs, stirring it up with my hands, let it sit about 3 minutes. I heat a large skillet, and add a LOT of salt free butter. Then I add the matzo mixture to the pan, let it set. When I smell it's browned on the bottom, and then I flip it, break it apart with a spatula. My kids like jam on the side, I just like it with salt. It's really crisp, buttery, light, and delicious!-COLLAPSE

  • Thank you thank you, Jane! I can't wait to try Jim's version. :-)

  • When is a Omelette a Souffl'e ?

  • Here's the link to Jim's recipe. It's the scrambled kind, and I love it with maple syrup, just like SRosie and the other good New England Jews.

    http://web.archive.org/web/20011224110453/chowhound.com/writing/matzohbrei.html

  • My Mother's is the same as the recipe offered above - however with melted sweet cream butter and sizzling hot maple syrup drizzled over the top. Prepared this way, one can only afford to eat it once a year. My 4 year old daughter likes Matzoh Brei scrambled like eggs with cool maple syrup. In this case, the matzoh should be broken into smaller peices.

  • I like to add sauteed onions to the egg mixture.

  • i grew up on a similar recipe, except my family never called it Matza Brei, (I think we used warm, not boiling, tap water)
    and i mix the cinnamon in with the eggs before It hits the frying pan.
    then, we always served it with Maple Syrup (Good New England Jews)
    It's like passover french toast.

  • Where does that sweet stuff come from? A lot of my Jewish friends are in Europe and they make the dishes donamaya describes - certainly nothing doused in sugar or honey, except sweets, obviously.

    Jam on anything I cook other than breakfast or dessert crêpes would be immediate cause for divorce...

  • the recipe sounds basic enough...except for the garnish- cinnamon-sugar!!!! honey?????? it sounds like what my husband eats-- definitely the "other" type of Jewish cuisine- everything is sweet. i grew up eating matzoh brei with salt and pepper(and often sliced tomatoes), noodle pudding w/ salt and pepper,savory not sweet gefilte fish............to me , it's an abomination but i'm trying to be...+READ

    the recipe sounds basic enough...except for the garnish- cinnamon-sugar!!!! honey?????? it sounds like what my husband eats-- definitely the "other" type of Jewish cuisine- everything is sweet. i grew up eating matzoh brei with salt and pepper(and often sliced tomatoes), noodle pudding w/ salt and pepper,savory not sweet gefilte fish............to me , it's an abomination but i'm trying to be more tolerant and not make a comment every passover as he takes a jar of jam from the fridge to shmear on top! we also both agree on the scrambled style- well done.
    and.... it's not just for passover.-COLLAPSE

  • What about Jim Leff's awesome essay on Matzo Brei? Having never heard of it, I loved reading it and was inspired to try it -- since the changeover I can't seem to find it. Can someone please provide a link? (It's quite a bit more detailed than this recipe.)