the yearly yen



I have this funny little quirk. Every year, about a month or so before Passover, I start having this wild craving for matzo. I’m not sure why–maybe it’s the subliminal message I get when I see boxes of matzo laid out on white paper lined shelves in the special holiday aisle of the supermarket. All I know is that I am suddenly obsessed with the idea of tucking into a crisp sheet of that unleavened wonder, slathered with sweet butter and sprinkled with kosher salt. When I can hold out no longer, I’ll break down and buy a box. It’s a seasonal sensation–if you’ve never tried it, I highly recommend it. And my second favorite way to eat matzo is…

Matzo Brei

 

Scrambled eggs ain’t got nothing on this brei, which is simply fried matzo with eggs. Sheets of matzo are soaked first in hot water to make them tender, mixed with scrambled egg, and then combined with caramelized sweet onion to make a breakfast treat that’ll hold you all day. Some families make this as a sweet dish, but we’ve always stuck to the savory variety–nothing like that golden onion to add umami goodness.


This is pretty straight forward and simple to make. Begin by dicing half a large sweet onion. Heat a skillet over a medium low flame and add a tablespoon of rendered chicken fat to the pan. Mmmmm….I love the smell of chicken fat, or schmaltz, as my Grandmas would call it. It adds a dimension of old world authenticity to this dish that can’t be explained, but if you’re unable to find it, you can certainly substitute butter instead.

Season the diced onion with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper and continue to cook, stirring often, until it’s soft and golden.


Break up 3 sheets of matzo and place in a small bowl–I prefer to keep them in large chunks, but you can chop them finer if you like. Pour enough boiling water over the matzo to cover and allow to sit for no more than 30 seconds, just until it is tender but still al dente–there’s nothing worse than mushy matzo. Place a plate over the bowl and drain all the hot water.


Beat 4 eggs, 1/4 cup milk and a pinch of salt. Pour the eggs over the softened chunks of matzo and stir to mix.


Turn the heat up slightly and add another tablespoon of chicken fat or butter to melt with the onions in the pan. Pour the egg and matzo mixture over the caramelized onions. Cook, stirring frequently, until the egg is just cooked, about 3 to 4 minutes.


Season with freshly cracked pepper and a pinch of salt and serve immediately. Happy holidays, everyone!


Serves 2:

1/2 large sweet onion, diced
2 tablespoons rendered chicken fat, or unsalted butter
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 sheets matzo
boiling water to cover
4 eggs
1/4 cup milk

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By passioneats | 4.07.2012 | Dairy, Eggs, Holiday, Onions |

4 thoughts on “the yearly yen”

  2. Maggie

    Pennie, another culinary delight you are introducing me to here. I’ve not had matzo before, but you make this look soooo good. Really, anything with eggs and I am in! I’ll give this a try if I can find matzo around here!