Cast Iron

Matzo Brei

by:
April  5, 2016
4
4 Ratings
Matzo Brei
Photo by Bobbi Lin
  • Serves 6
Author Notes

I wanted to get a little creative with matzo brei and achieve a better texture. For starters, I chose to soak the matzo in milk instead of water for a creamier texture. (If you want to keep it parve, use almond milk.)

And I wanted to add more flavor and make them a little airier than in the typical recipe, so I decided to fold whipped egg whites into the batter prior to cooking. This made the matzo pancakes rise the second they hit the hot oil. I also sprinkled in some almond flour to give the batter some structure once after the little cakes rose.

The combination of those two ingredients—egg whites and almond flour—gave me a lighter textured matzo brei than I've ever had before, almost doughnut-like. —Alon Shaya

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • 5 pieces matzo, preferably Manischewitz brand
  • 2 cups milk
  • 3 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon white sugar
  • Zest of 1/4 orange
  • Zest of 1/4 lemon
  • 1/4 cup almond flour
  • 1/8 cup matzo meal
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/4 teaspoon orange blossom water
  • 3/4 teaspoon pomegranate molasses
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 1 cup whipped egg whites at stiff peaks (from about 3 eggs)
  • Canola oil, as needed
Directions
  1. Soak the matzo in the milk for 15 minutes. Break up into 1-inch pieces with your fingers —they will be random shapes, which is okay. Squeeze the excess milk from the matzo.
  2. Take the drained matzo and put into a mixing bowl. Discard the milk.
  3. Add the remaining ingredients except the whipped egg whites and the oil. Fold egg whites in last, right before you are cooking the matzo brei, so that they remain light in texture.
  4. Heat a large cast-iron pan or nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add a light amount of canola oil in order to cover the bottom of the pan.
  5. When the oil is hot, use an ice cream scoop or ladle to drop about 2 ounces of mixture into the oil.
  6. Cook until golden brown on each side and cooked throughout, approximately 4 minutes.
Tags:

See what other Food52ers are saying.

  • lgoldenhar
    lgoldenhar
  • henandchicks
    henandchicks
  • hpnyknits
    hpnyknits
  • GsR
    GsR
Alon Shaya
Alon Shaya is the founder of Pomegranate Hospitality, and Executive Chef of Saba in New Orleans and Safta in Denver.

Popular on Food52

6 Reviews

lgoldenhar
lgoldenhar April 15, 2017
Nice recipe for a weekend Passover breakfast. I may have over cooked slightly as the "pancakes" were a little dry. I love the flavor that the orange blossom water adds.
 
hpnyknits
hpnyknits May 4, 2016
so much fuss, and this came out too wet. stated good, but no shape.
:(
 
GsR
GsR April 14, 2016
More like chremzel than matzah Brie (or as my called it, papalick).
 
Adele M.
Adele M. April 15, 2016
My mother-in-law used to call this a Bubbele. Very similar to the matzo meal latkes my Mom used to make.
 
henandchicks
henandchicks April 29, 2016
Adele, My late great grandmother called ME Bubbele! Maybe it refers to something sweet and delish?
 
Lauren
Lauren April 6, 2018
I’m Bubbeleh too! We called it matzoh brei or just fried matzoh. Mom used water, not milk, and made it to fit a 9” fry pan. We’d cut it kike a pizza and enjoy spread with jam on top.