Matzo Brei

In honor of Passover, I present one of the simplest dishes ever, but a real kid pleaser!

My grandfather worked at a famous Jewish dairy restaurant in New York City called Ratner’s. When my father would take us back East to NY, we would always go down to Delancy Street to get their matzo brei. On most days, you could order your matzo brei “pancake style” or scrambled, but on weekends, it was so crowded, you could only get scrambled. Ratner’s closed in 2002, and took a little piece of New York history with it. If you’re ever on the Lower East Side, I recommend going on one of the many tours offered by The Tenement Museum, which will really give you an idea of what life was like in New York back in the day. www.tenement.org

Ingredients:

Matzo

Eggs

Milk

Butter or oil

The basic ratio is one egg to one piece of matzo to one kid. So you do the math depending on the size of your crew.

1. Hold a piece of matzo under warm running water briefly, dousing both sides with the water, but not soaking (or you’ll end up with matzo mush, a totally different dish). Break the now damp matzo into bite-sized pieces in a mixing bowl. Repeat with each piece of matzo you’ll be using.

2. For each piece of matzo you broke up, crack an egg into another mixing bowl. Beat the eggs together with a splash of milk until smooth.

3. Combine the eggs and matzo. Don’t mash up the matzo too much when mixing. Let this mixture sit for five minutes or more to settle down from all the excitement.

4. Heat up a frying pan and melt a big glob of butter in it. When all the bubbles are gone, add the matzo brei mixture. Let it cook until golden brown on the bottom.

5. Here’s where you make the decision. If you want pancake style, flip the whole unit in one piece using two spatulas. If you don’t care about that kind of thing, flip it in chunks and smoosh it around a bit, breaking up the larger clumps.

6. Fry until the egg is cooked and the matzo is crispy.

7. When I was a kid, my mother would serve this with butter on top, some salt, and maple syrup. Some people forego the syrup in favor of jam. Heck, some people go crazy and serve it with sauteed onions or even apple sauce. My kids eat it with honey drizzled over the top. I’m sure you will find your own way to enjoy.

Ratners