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Matzo Brei


jaybee

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Jinmyo,

I'm not sure if this would work as well with french toast.  I think the bread would absorb more of the egg yolk than the wet dense matzo. I also think the broken up matzo allows the egg whites to get in the nooks and crannies between the oddly shaped matzo.

I think with the standard version of french toast the beaten whites would form a coating that could be interesting.  I wonder if adding some flour to the beaten whites as in the Cooks Illustrated version would really add something crusty and wonderful... or some awful mess:-) 

I am also thinking of day old french bread broken up into smaller pieces and done in this way would be something similiar to one of those overnight casseroles that require soaking the bread in an egg/cream/milk mixture - without the overnight soaking.

My mother never added anything savory to the mixture but because of the frittata quality of her matzo brei, it would be a natural for adding some sauteed mushrooms, or other savory things.

Interesting  - let me know if you try anything.  

Julliana

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Am I the only one who sometimes makes it along the same lines as french toast (dry matzo soaked in egg/milk mixture)?  Last Sunday I used 7 or 8 matzos, 5 eggs and a quart of milk -

Nope :smile:, I think that you just ahve to soak it longer.   But now that you mention it I'm gonna try it with my 'challah french toast' royale.  Cream, eggs, OJ, and vanilla flavored rum (Tahitian beans stuffed into a bottle of Mt Gay).

Thank you egullet :biggrin:

Nick

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Nick -- when I do french toast that way, I always add some ground spices -- allspice (one of my favorites), cinnamon (a little common, though), nutmeg (ditto), cardamom, coriander -- not all together, of course.  But my preference is to add some ground fenugreek seeds; adds an undefinable (by most people) je ne sais quois.  Anyway, I like it.

Steve P: sounds more like what they might make in Kingston or Port-of-Spain: Flatbread Fryup.

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A rose by any other name... :wink:

"I've caught you Richardson, stuffing spit-backs in your vile maw. 'Let tomorrow's omelets go empty,' is that your fucking attitude?" -E. B. Farnum

"Behold, I teach you the ubermunch. The ubermunch is the meaning of the earth. Let your will say: the ubermunch shall be the meaning of the earth!" -Fritzy N.

"It's okay to like celery more than yogurt, but it's not okay to think that batter is yogurt."

Serving fine and fresh gratuitous comments since Oct 5 2001, 09:53 PM

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Nick -- when I do french toast that way, I always add some ground spices -- allspice (one of my favorites), cinnamon (a little common, though), nutmeg (ditto), cardamom, coriander -- not all together, of course.  But my preference is to add some ground fenugreek seeds; adds an undefinable (by most people) je ne sais quois.  Anyway, I like it.

Fenugreek!!.  Wow,what a bitchin' idea!  can't wait to try.

Thanx

Nick

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For me, matzoh brei is strictly a Passover thing, and after Passover has passed over, I don't want to look at another piece of matzoh -- in any way, shape, or form -- until the next Passover.

I buy only Horowitz Margareten because, first, it's the only matzoh that has anything approximating any taste, and, second, my Dad was friends with the Horowitz family, he and my Mom always bought that brand, and so I continue in that loyal tradition.

When I do matzoh brie, I prefer using egg matzoh, though I sometimes use plain.  To make one large brei, I break one matzoh board into small pieces and soak them in hot water until they are soft.  I squeeze out most of the water, chop the pieces with the side of a spoon, then mix in one whole egg, a little milk, some sugar and cinnamon, and some peeled, cubed apples.  I fry it in a combination of unsalted butter and peanut oil in a particular non-stick Passover-only pan that I have had for more than 30 years, then serve it topped with a sprinking of sugar.

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I planned the other morning to weigh in that evening on matzo brei, but I see that the subject has been pretty well covered.

For the record, however, I’m sweet (not savory) and crisp (not pancake, my Bubby notwithstanding):

Break three matzos into large pieces in a bowl; pour in very hot tap water; soak for about a minute; pour off and press out the water; add to two eggs beaten in a bowl with a few tablespoons of heavy cream, some melted butter, a teaspoon of sugar or equivalent sweetener, and a little salt; press into a large non-stick pan with LOTS OF butter just at the point of beginning to brown; and either flip pieces around to brown on both sides or, if the pan is large enough, leave in one thin mass and flip when the underside is done.  Serve with granulated sweetener, i.e., sugar or, more recently, granulated Splenda.

Ratner’s used to do a mean brei, but I haven’t been there in a decade.

"To Serve Man"

-- Favorite Twilight Zone cookbook

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  • 1 year later...

I know how to cook some traditional Jewish dishes - but - despite trying many recipes - this is one I could never get right at home (even though I've eaten many delicious versions at restaurants). Do you have a favorite recipe - or some secrets about the best way to cook it? I suspect all of us always buy too much matzo for Passover - and this would be a yummy way to consume it. Robyn

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This won't help you.

My ex-mother-in-law-equivalent made it at our house once. She soaked the matzoh in water, mixed with eggs, and fried in vegetarian schmaltz (on whose non-existence I would have betted heavily). I loved it. To me, it tasted like fried chicken.

Like I say, this won't help you.

amanda

Googlista

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This won't help you.

My ex-mother-in-law-equivalent made it at our house once. She soaked the matzoh in water, mixed with eggs, and fried in vegetarian schmaltz (on whose non-existence I would have betted heavily). I loved it. To me, it tasted like fried chicken.

Like I say, this won't help you.

What is vegetarian schmaltz? Olive oil?

And what is an ex-mother-in-law-equivalent? Does it have something to do with gender changing operations (I haven't a clue :smile: )? Robyn

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What is vegetarian schmaltz?  Olive oil?

Nyafat ... trust me on this, it is a vegetarian fat which comes in flavored (onion) and unflavored .... whoopee! :rolleyes:

http://www.food-and-drink.com/display.cfm?rec=52647

"Schmaltz is rendered chicken fat with onion, and is available in the kosher section of your market. Nyafat is a cholesterol-free, schmaltz-flavored vegetable shortening, also available in the kosher section."

Edited by Gifted Gourmet (log)

Melissa Goodman aka "Gifted Gourmet"

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Is Nyafat as awful as it sounds? And who's the target market for the product (not being Kosher - or vegetarian - I haven't a clue)? And - since I am not Kosher - or vegetarian - I can use the fat in my matzo brei that tastes best - whatever it happens to be.

I would have attended the matzo brei cooking lesson at my father-in-law's nursing home this week - but the person who usually gives the session is - I think - too busy working on legislative matters pertaining to nursing homes right now to give the cooking class this year :sad: . Robyn

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Nyafat would be what a person who is kosher would want to use if they desired the flavor of schmaltz in a dish but were preparing a dairy meal.

Matzoh brie would be a perfect example if it was part of a dairy meal i.e. a breakfast that included milk or cheese and also matzoh brei.

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Anne Rosenzweig used to make a mushroom matzo brei at Arcadia, I think. I never actually had it, but loved the idea so much that I worked one up for myself.

- Saute lots of mushrooms (including some rehydrated porcini, especially otherwise if only using button mushrooms) with some chopped onion or shallot and garlic in butter (for dairy) or olive oil (fleishig).

- Soak and break up the matzo as you normally would (use the soaking water as part of the liquid), and add it to the mushrooms.

- Cook, turning and breaking up the pieces. It won't necessarily get crisp, but yummmm! Works especially well with whole-wheat matzo (not pesachdige, though, is it?).

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I've never tried it, but I'm thinking an asian-style Matzo brei, cooked in a stir fry oil in a wok with lots of chopped scallion, chinese leeks and some mushrooms with a dash of dark soy would be really good.

Jason Perlow, Co-Founder eGullet Society for Culinary Arts & Letters

Foodies who Review South Florida (Facebook) | offthebroiler.com - Food Blog (archived) | View my food photos on Instagram

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I'm having dinner at my mom's tonight, and we are having matzo brei. I can't wait.

I do think you have to use real schmaltz, though, it's essential to the taste of the dish.

Do you use syrup oor fruit on yours?

We are salt and pepper people (lots of pepper) at our house.

Don't forget to saute the onions first, before you put egg mixture in the pan.

I had matzo brei with lox and onions before. Also pretty tasty. Real lox, not novi, though.

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I think matzo brei is dandy with either olive oil or butter as the fat, personally. I like to make it with onion, garlic, or everything matzo, or I'll mince garlic or a shallot and saute it briefly in the fat before I add the egg-matzo mixture. My method is 1 piece of matzo and 2 eggs per person; first break up the matzo into the bottom of the mixing bowl and slowly, slowly add very hot water, turning and gently pressing the matzo and letting the water soak in as I go until the matzo is thoroughly moistened but not falling apart. Then in go the lightly beaten eggs, salt, and pepper. Let sit a moment more. Cook, turning the eggs in large, broken pieces, until dry.

Matzo brei absolutely must be dry, in my book. If you keep cooking too long after any surface moisture or shininess is gone, it's true, it will go from appropriately dry to actually dried out, which is of course undesirable. But the degree of wetness or creaminess that is usual with good scrambled eggs is too wet for matzo brei.

Edited by redfox (log)

"went together easy, but I did not like the taste of the bacon and orange tang together"

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I like Matzo Brei in a more savory flavor, mainly because that's how my grandmother served it. We used salt, and a giant dollop of sour cream on the side for dipping--- fabulous!! I guess sour cream is still available even though it is out of favor in recent years-- (about 50% fat content)

Anybody else grow up with sour cream on Matzo Brei?

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I think matzo brei is dandy with either olive oil or butter as the fat, personally. I like to make it with onion, garlic, or everything matzo, or I'll mince garlic or a shallot and saute it briefly in the fat before I add the egg-matzo mixture. My method is 1 piece of matzo and 2 eggs per person; first break up the matzo into the bottom of the mixing bowl and slowly, slowly add very hot water, turning and gently pressing the matzo and letting the water soak in as I go until the matzo is thoroughly moistened but not falling apart. Then in go the lightly beaten eggs, salt, and pepper. Let sit a moment more. Cook, turning the eggs in large, broken pieces, until dry.

Matzo brei absolutely must be dry, in my book. If you keep cooking too long after any surface moisture or shininess is gone, it's true, it will go from appropriately dry to actually dried out, which is of course undesirable. But the degree of wetness or creaminess that is usual with good scrambled eggs is too wet for matzo brei.

This is the kind of recipe I'm looking for - a more or less traditional recipe.

My husband likes to eat his eggs virtually raw - I'm more middle of the road. I'll let him decide how he wants his matzo brei.

By the way Menton1 - we never met a dish with sour cream that we didn't like :smile: . So your suggestion sounds really good. Robyn

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By the way Menton1 - we never met a dish with sour cream that we didn't like  :smile: .  So your suggestion sounds really good.  Robyn

Make sure you use the REAL sour cream (the really unctuous one with all that fat!)

For an extra treat, use egg & onion flavored matzo (although it won't be Kosher for Pasover) :wink:

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By the way Menton1 - we never met a dish with sour cream that we didn't like  :smile: .  So your suggestion sounds really good.  Robyn

Make sure you use the REAL sour cream (the really unctuous one with all that fat!)

For an extra treat, use egg & onion flavored matzo (although it won't be Kosher for Pasover) :wink:

Gotta agree with you that real sour cream is essential in Passover cooking .. I top my savoury matzoh brie with a mixture of chopped fresh spring veg ( a la Ratner's ... RIP) and the bright flecks of color (purple onion, red pepper, green onion tops, golden peppers, etc.) mixed with the sour cream, is not only attractive, but delightful! :smile:

If you gotta go, better you should die with this on your lips!! :biggrin:

Melissa Goodman aka "Gifted Gourmet"

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had it for breakfast this morning. for 2 people: soaked 3 matzoh sheets in warm water in a colander. drained and squoze out excess water, combined with 3 eggs and kosher salt sauteed with butter omlet style until very crisp and brown turned over same on side 2 served with sour cream and cherry preserves (from France)

Certain foods are great the 2 times a year you have them...really great.

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Ooh, gotta try the spring vegetables addition. Mm!

Why is matzo brei so dang good?

Probably due to the rarity of the occasions on which it is prepared ...

every week would be overkill even with something this good ... :laugh:

Melissa Goodman aka "Gifted Gourmet"

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