Quick and Easy

Poppy's Matzo Brei

by:
April 29, 2024
4
3 Ratings
Poppy's Matzo Brei
Photo by Poppy's
  • Prep time 5 minutes
  • Cook time 5 minutes
  • Serves 2
Author Notes

My grandfather, whom I called Poppy, was a counterman at the famed B&H Dairy in the East Village for 40 years! By the 1980’s and during my early childhood on the Lower East Side, he went to the Grand Street Dairy and there became coined King of the Matzo Brei. For the 10 years of my childhood that my Poppy was alive for, I can remember the smell of matzo brei frying and loved eating it with a pile of sugar on my plate to dip it into. I started my business 12 years ago and decided dedicate it to him by calling the company Poppy’s. While I’m not the chef of my business, I love cooking at home and on this Passover I figured we could share this recipe for anyone to make. —Jamie Erickson

What You'll Need
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Poppy's Matzo Brei
Ingredients
  • 2 pieces matzo
  • 2 large eggs
  • Kosher salt
  • 1 dash cinnamon, optional
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Directions
  1. In a bowl, break apart the two pieces of matzo into approximately 1-inch pieces. Run the matzo under warm water and let it soak for 30 seconds or so. Drain the water.
  2. Crack two eggs into the wet matzo and mix with a fork. Add a few pinches of kosher salt (cinnamon is optional).
  3. Heat a small nonstick pan on medium to high heat and add the oil till its shimmering. Pour the egg and matzo mixture into the pan so that it forms a full pancake. Cook on medium-high heat for approximately 3 minutes or until you see the sides getting crispy and the matzo brie is sticking together when you shake the pan. Flip the matzo brie in the air and cook other side for another 2 to 3 minutes.
  4. Slide onto a plate. Serve with a pile of fresh jam (or a pile of sugar if you want to be like me as a kid).
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9 Reviews

wls
wls May 7, 2024
My Bubbe's recipe exactly. I lived on St Mark's place while in graduate school in the early 70's and ate at B&H frequently. I loved the vegetable cream sandwiches on pumpernickel and of course the mushroom barley soup.
 
Nancy M.
Nancy M. May 7, 2024
I would like to know more about a vegetable cream sandwich.
 
jude
jude May 7, 2024
it is never too late for matzah brei. i eat it all year long and just last week thought to myself that this might be my #1 comfort food. it's fast, it tastes great and it's always in my pantry.
thank you, jamie and amanda and poppy! (i use butter).
 
MacGuffin
MacGuffin May 7, 2024
A little late for matzo brei, no?
One egg to two matzos. In the absence of Onion Nyafat (no longer available), use butter. Pinch of salt, grind of black pepper. No cinnamon. Serve with either applesauce (blecch) or sour cream.
 
Jane
Jane May 7, 2024
Never too late for matzo brei 😀
I add a little dried onion to mixture.
 
MacGuffin
MacGuffin May 7, 2024
My point was not that one couldn't eat matzo brei whenever but that posting the recipe after Pesach, and not long after Pesach, was weird.
I made the mistake of grabbing a box of Israeli egg matzo that contained onions; what could be better? It turns out that they'd added SUGAR. The matzos were HORRIBLE, plus having to toss them reduced available food for the holiday. I used to love matzo brei fried in onion Nyafat, so I'm sure your matzo brei is delicious. It's also delicious fried in shmaltz but I don't eat meat anymore; if you eat meat, you should try it.
 
Nancy M.
Nancy M. May 7, 2024
I'm a little nervous about "flip it in the air" but I'll give it a try.
 
Nancy L.
Nancy L. May 7, 2024
I forgot the flip in the air - we used a spatula. It worked just fine.
 
Nancy L.
Nancy L. May 7, 2024
Except for the optional cinnamon and the sugar/jam at the end, this is pretty much identical to how my mother made fried matzo, and how I make it. We laid the matzo in some paper towels to get rid of excess water before proceeding with the rest of the process. We sometimes did put maple syrup over it at the end, but more often it went more in the savory direction, no sweetener of any kind. Quick, simple and terrific.