Matzo Brei

I read about matzo brei, and read about it and still couldn't wrap my head around why people were so in love with it. Water logged crackers, tossed in eggs and fried? Wacky. But when Ruth Riechl swears by it, it must be good. So I tried it and these simple ingredients do turn out a quite tasty base for just about anything. Matzo brei can be made sweet or savory depending on what you serve them with or what you add to the batter. This batch of matzo brei was decadently savory, topped with a rich chicken gravy and served with deep purple mustard greens. But I could have followed them up with a batch smeared with raspberry jam and sprinkled with powdered sugar. Ruth's recipe calls for a whole stick of butter, I was afraid. I had to go for a recipe that called for less, but if you are less of a wimp follow Ruth's advice and add more butter.

Matzo Brei adapted from Bon Appetit

Feeds two

2 sheets of matzo

2 eggs

salt and pepper

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1. Break matzo into 1/2'' pieces and place in a colander. Run under very hot tap water for 30 seconds.

2. Beat eggs in a medium bowl; season with salt and pepper.

3. Add drained matzo; mix until combined and a wet better forms.

4. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.

5. Spoon 1/4 cupfuls of batter into the skillet, making 4 pancakes. Fry, turning once, until golden and just cooked through, about 1 minute per side.