Savory Red Pepper And Onion Matzo Brei
Posted on April 15, 2011 by Leslie Blythe No comments
In Memory of a Truly Elegant Woman
One of my fondest memories of college, was being invited to my roommate’s home for the weekend in Brooklyn. We would pile in her car with the broken front seat with our bags of dirty laundry. Her parents were wonderful. Her mother was the director of the Joffrey Ballet in New York – an incredibly beautiful women with more agility and grace than I would ever dream of having. She would make us Mazto Brie in the morning, stirring the eggs in the skillet with her leg extended up over the counter, standing on one foot. This image is permanently emblazoned in my mind. Tragically she passed away from Breast Cancer way too early. I think of her often.
Matzo brei literally means “fried matzah”. Typically the dry matzo is briefly softened in hot water or milk, broken into pieces, mixed with eggs, and pan-fried in butter, oil or schmaltz. It may be formed into a cake, like a frittata, or broken up and cooked like scrambled eggs. It can be savory or sweet. It may be combined, omelette-style, with meat and other foods, or it may be topped with sauces such as apple sauce, salsa or preserves. Some eat it with sugar, syrup, or jelly. The following recipe is a more savory version.
Matzo brei is commonly eaten as a breakfast food during Passover, when only unleavened bread is permitted. However, some Jews do not eat matzah brei during Passover because they do not eat gebrochts, matzo that has come into contact with water.
Pronunciation: maht-suh
Alternate Spellings: Matzoh, Matza, Matzah, Matzoh, Matza, Matzah
Savory Red Pepper And Onion Matzo Brei
Serves 4 main course or 8 side dish servings
6 (6”) unsalted matzos
6 large eggs
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp black pepper
1½ Tbs chopped fresh dill
2 medium onions, halved lengthwise, then cut lengthwise into 1/4-inch-wide strips
2 red bell peppers, cut lengthwise into 1/4-inch-wide strips
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
Break matzos into roughly 1-inch pieces into a colander, then rinse under hot tap water until pieces are softened, 1 to 2 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes.
Lightly beat eggs with salt, pepper, and 1 tablespoon dill in a large bowl and stir in matzos until coated well.
Cook onions and peppers in oil in a 12-inch heavy nonstick skillet over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until they begin to brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Add matzo mixture, then increase heat to moderately high and sauté, stirring frequently and breaking up clumps, until matzos are well browned, about 17 minutes. Season with salt, then sprinkle with remaining 1/2 tablespoon dill.
