Crunchy or soft? What’s the right way to eat matzo brei?
In my last blog post I said that my husband thought it was weird that I ate matzo brei with yogurt, not maple syrup. His mother had served it with maple syrup, or, more likely, with “table syrup” like Log Cabin.
Well that’s not the only point of disagreement we have on the subject. The other one has to do with texture. Sometimes food can taste terrific but the texture isn’t right.
Right?
When I made made matzo brei for him the first time he said it wasn’t at all what he expected. My version is soft and tender, the way my mother made it and the way my grandmother made it.
His mother made it crunchy. She hardly soaked the matzo, so matzo brei in the Fein household was more like an eggs and matzo flat omelet. It tastes fine. But I prefer the soft, tender kind. But I realize that good people can have different opinions on this, so here’s how to make Crunchy Matzo Brei:
Crunchy Matzo Brei
1-1/2 matzos
warm water
1 large egg
salt to taste
butter
Break the matzos into small pieces into a bowl. Cover with warm water and let it soak for 20 seconds. Drain any non-absorbed water, then squeeze the pieces to extract as much excess water as possible. Add the egg and mix the ingredients. Sprinkle to taste with salt. Heat the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. When the butter has melted and looks foamy, add the egg-matzo mixture. Cook for 2-3 minutes per side or until golden brown and crispy. Makes one serving (but you can double, triple or even quadruple the recipe and use a bigger pan)