http://www.nytimes.com/2023/04/03/dining/matzo-brei-passover-recipe.html

A Matzo Brei That’s Sweet, Savory and Just a Little Spicy

Melissa Clark tweaks the classic, adding feta, hot honey and herbs.

By Melissa Clark

Published April 3, 2023Updated April 6, 2023

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Passover lasts eight days, and you might attend one or even two Seders. But how many matzo breis will you fry?

If your answer is just one, then you’ll probably go for a classic iteration of the matzo-and-egg dish or whichever tried-and-true version your friends and family adore.

However, if there’s room in your life to branch out with a brei, I have a recipe worth buying extra matzos for.

What makes it special is that it satisfies both sweet and savory brei lovers: those who shower on the confectioners’ sugar or maple syrup, and those who prefer it dusted with black pepper and sea salt. And then I take the whole thing one step further by adding chile.

The saltiness comes from feta crumbles that melt into creamy pockets strewn throughout the eggs. Other cheeses — blue cheese, ricotta salata, grated Cheddar or Gruyère — will also work, each lending its character to the dish. Use whichever you like best.

A drizzle of hot honey brings sweetness and delivers the heat. The chile-averse can substitute regular honey, or use a combination of hot and regular for a slower, sweeter burn.

Adding herbs on top of the matzo brei might be this recipe’s most radical, shock-your-bubbe tweak. But I like the verdant freshness that dill imparts, connecting the dish even more vividly to spring. Feel free to substitute another, possibly less-divisive herb like mint, parsley, chives or basil. Grandma will recover.

Although the flavors of this brei may be outside the box, the technique remains thoroughly traditional: Sheets of matzo are soaked in water until bendable and fried in butter until the edges are golden. Then, beaten eggs are added to the hot pan and cooked until set.

The longer you let the matzo soak, and the more you scramble it, the silkier and fluffier the brei becomes, while a quick soak and less agitation makes for a firmer, crunchier meal. Some cooks forgo the soak entirely, or let the brei soak in the eggs, and these methods work very well, too.

After all, matzo brei is as adaptable and forgiving as it is comforting. Which makes me wonder why, since matzo is available all year long, I don’t make it more often. Whether classic or revamped, it’s simply too good a dish to box into eight days.

Matzo Brei With Hot Honey and Feta

By Melissa Clark

Time 15 minutes Rating 4 (188)

When it comes to matzo brei (rhymes with fry), preferences run deep. Do you like yours salty and peppery, with crispy edges, or softer and sweeter, served with a drizzle of syrup or shower of confectioners’ sugar? This version leans savory, dotted with pockets of creamy feta and dill, but a slick of hot honey added at the end is a nod to the sweeter — albeit spicier — side. Serve it for breakfast, lunch or dinner, during Passover and beyond. It’s a quick, satisfying meal with verve to spare.

INGREDIENTS

Yield: 2 servings

• 2sheets matzo
• 2tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2ounces feta (about ¼ cup), crumbled, plus more for garnish
• 4large eggs, beaten with 1 tablespoon water
• ¼teaspoon fine sea or table salt
• ¼teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• Hot honey, as needed (or use regular honey and a pinch of red-pepper flakes)
• 1 to 2tablespoons chopped fresh dill (or another soft herb such as mint, parsley, chives or basil)

PREPARATION

1. Under cool running water, rinse matzo sheets until they are quite wet. Set aside and let sit to soften while you prepare the pan. (If you prefer a crisper brei, don’t let them sit for very long.)
2. Place a large, preferably nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and add butter. Once it melts and the foam subsides, break matzo sheets into bite-size pieces and add to the pan. Sauté matzo in butter until browned all over, about 2 minutes (the butter will also get a little browned, which is nice). Sprinkle in the feta in the last 30 seconds of cooking.
3. Add eggs, salt and pepper to the pan, and scramble the mixture until it is just set but still light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Serve matzo brei drizzled with honey and sprinkled with dill and more feta.