Egremont— April 1st is arriving soon along with the start of Passover, a time of when Jewish families enjoy a holiday favorite, Matzo Brei. This delicious dish, often served at breakfast with a dollop of sour cream, makes a good, easy-to-prepare meal for Passover and beyond.
As the headline says, “You don’t have to be Jewish to love Matzo Brei.” For some readers of this column, this line may sound vaguely familiar. In the 1960’s, an ad agency named Doyle Dane Bernbach was winning awards for its creative work, the memorable slogans it had done for brands likes Volkswagen (“Think Small,”) Avis (“We try harder,”) and Exxon (“Put a tiger in your tank.”)
One slogan of historical significance was “You don’t have to be Jewish to love Levy’s.” for Levy’s, a tiny Brooklyn Bakery. The ads broke barriers with their diverse cast of faces, driving Levy’s Rye to become a nationwide favorite. “So with the wave of a pen and a spatula, I too declare: “You don’t have to be Jewish to love Matzo Brei.”
Here’s my recipe for matzo brei (“pronounced “bry” like “fry.”) I say “my recipe” because Jewish cooks around the world (no doubt going back to biblical times) claim that their recipe is the best. So, here’s my recipe, and it’s the best!
Matzo Brei
5 slices matzo
2 eggs
1/2 cup of milk
1 medium sized yellow onion, peeled and roughly chopped
2 tablespoons butter, plus an additional tablespoon to use if needed
salt and pepper, to taste
2 cups sour cream
Break the matzo into one-to-two-inch pieces into a medium sized bowl.
Pour the milk over the matzo and mix until most of the milk is absorbed by the pieces of matzo.
Crack the eggs into the bowl and mix until all the matzo is coated.
Allow the mixture to rest while you warm one tablespoon of butter into a 10-to-12-inch frying pan.
Add onion to pan, and cook until lightly browned.
Add cooked onion, salt, and several grinds of pepper to the bowl and mix well.
Add the remaining tablespoon of butter to the pan and heat until butter begins to bubble. Add matzo mixture to the hot pan and spread evenly to form a pancake. Lower the heat and fry on medium low for about three minutes. Lift the edge to see the level of browning, I like the matzo to get crispy but not burnt. Add the reserved butter if the pan appears to be getting dry, swirl it evenly under the edges of the matzo.
Using a spatula, flip the pancake and don’t worry if it breaks up. The goal is to make the matzo crispy.
When all of the pieces of matzo are crisp, distribute evenly to serving dishes, adding a dollop of sour cream to each serving. Applesauce is a popular addition or alternative to the sour cream.
That’s it. Enjoy!
