Passover Breakfast: Matzo Brei

I was going to start Passover week with Matzo Balls, but they’re still in the freezer, so I haven’t taken any photos yet. Hold your questions – all will be explained in that post. In the meantime, let’s start with the Passover Breakfast of Champions: Matzo Brei.

When I was a kid, there were two breakfasts you could count on getting during Passover: Dad’s scrambled eggs & onions, and Mom’s Matzo Brei. We didn’t have any of these Kosher for Passover boxed cold cereals like they do today. In fact, we ate no dairy during Passover for many years, because you couldn’t get KP milk in Ohio. Back then, Mom and Dad drank their coffee with milk in it, so during Passover? No coffee. Tea. Until I became a coffee-drinking adult (sort of), I never realized what a sacrifice that was.

But, how to describe Matzo Brei? Sort of a matzo pancake? Definitely a tasty blank canvas that can be topped with a sprinkle of sugar (Mom’s way) or a spoonful of jam (my way). We only ever had it (and I only ever make it) during Passover. If you don’t save certain dishes for special occasions, how would you know it was a holiday? Right?

Matzo Brei
(single serving)

Ingredients:

2 sheets of matzo
1 egg
pinch of salt
2 tsp. peanut (or vegetable) oil (for frying)

Preparation:

Put the matzos into a medium bowl and crush (I usually just make a fist and crush it with my knuckles). Cover with cool water and soak for about 2 minutes or until the matzo is soft, but not mushy. Pour through a strainer to drain, and press to get most of the excess water out.

Beat the egg with a fork until well-blended, add the salt and mix. Add the soaked matzo and mix very well, making sure that the matzo is completely coated.

Heat a frying pan over medium-high heat and heat the oil. Add the matzo-egg mixture in a pile in the middle of the pan and press down with a spatula, spreading it out evenly, until it’s about 3/4″ thick. Cook for about 3-4 minutes, turning it over when it’s golden brown. Cook for an additional 3-4 minutes on the other side.

We do the “Mom” touch around here, cutting the matzo brei up into bite-sized squares, then either sprinkling with sugar or adding a dollop of jam.

Notes:

Is it me? Or is matzo getting smaller this year? Or is it just Manischewitz brand? They looked positively Lilliputian when I took them out of the box!

A word about oil: Unless you follow the Sephardic tradition, the use of canola oil is not allowed during Passover. When I was growing up, the only kosher for Passover oil available, was peanut oil, so I continue to use that. There are KP vegetable oils available now, so if you prefer to use one of them, feel free.