Lest you think that I am only posting this recipe in order to get away with eating scrambled eggs again, I would like to start by clarifying that matzo brei (rhymes with “fry” and, hey!, also means “fried”) is a traditional Passover meal. Some people eat it because they are eating matzo (matzoh/matzah!) in place of leavened bread in observance of Passover. The rest of us eat it because we have a box of matzo in the house and would prefer to use it up this year. Either way, these eggy pancakes make an appealing blank slate for sweet or savory sauces, and get you out of eating boxed matzo in its dry and un-fried form.
I’d like to tell you that this was my own Bubbie’s recipe, but actually it came from Bon Appetit. Growing up, my family’s matzo brei was more of a scramble, and if I recall correctly it involved fried salami as well (is THAT kosher?). This recipe is more refined, more symmetrically shaped, and more vegetarian.
Matzo brei is traditionally a breakfast dish, but breakfast for dinner is never a bad idea. You can take these in a sweet direction with jam, powdered sugar, or syrup, or you can spice things up; we liked them with a harissa spread. But my personal favorite topping was our homemade plum-ginger jam. You could easily replicate it by pureeing a pound of pitted plums and boiling them down with a couple of teaspoons of grated ginger and sugar to taste (I further sweetened our jam to use as a sauce here). Isn’t that good? You’re welcome.
Matzo Brei: Crush four sheets of matzo into small pieces. Cover with hot tap water for 30 seconds, then drain well. Whisk four eggs, add matzo, season well with salt and pepper, and mix into a rough batter. (We also added a couple caramelized onions to the mix last night; thanks once again to Gourmandistan for the inspiration. You could do that too if you want to get fancy.) Drop by the 1/4 cup measure onto a heated pan or griddle and cook over medium-high heat until both sides are golden brown. Serve with sweet or savory pancake toppings.
Emmy Cooks 
YUM! :(
I never realized what matzo brei was – I just thought it was a different kind of matzo!
Now you know to try it in your tofu scramble! :)
When I saw you made matzo, I was just thinking, “I wonder if she’ll make matzo brei!”
Lo and behold!
And that is so funny that your family included some fried salami. I think there is kosher salami made out of beef . . .
You are so right about the salami! I remember that now. My grandparents used to bring it from Chicago when they visited. Thanks for being my expert on all things meaty, and for bringing back that good memory!
I’ve only had the scrambled up kind of matzo brei, but these sort of latke-looking ones are intriguing. I’ve also been wondering about the sweet type which I only recently heard about. This looks an interesting mix! Steve’s dad apparently used to make scrambled eggs (sans matzos) with salami, pastrami and even baloney, so you’re not alone!
Oh, yes, the scrambled eggs with salami (no matzo) was also a non-Passover favorite. I was just remembering that my grandparents used to bring a kosher salami from Chicago every time they visited. :)
Oooh, we used to eat this all of the time growing up! We just called it eggs and Matzo, though!
Yummy looking with the jams and etc., and thanks for the lovely pictures and sharing!
Funny, seems like lots of people remember this dish from growing up. Hopefully my kids will too! :)