Shared by Talya Avisar and Ruthy Tidhar
Shared by Talya Avisar and Ruthy Tidhar
Matzah Brei Fritters
Yield: 3-4 servingsTime: PT0H15M
Matzah Brei Fritters
Yield: 3-4 servingsTime: PT0H15MFamily Journey
Sátoraljaújhely, HungaryDickson City, PAScranton, PA
Louisville, KYBaltimoreJerusalem
Brooklyn
“I’m sure that there’s not a day during Passover that goes by that we don’t eat matzah brei. And I’m sure it’s been like that since my earliest childhood,” says Ruthy Tidhar, the mother of JFS culinary manager Talya Avisar. Ruthy likes to eat the first few pieces with homemade mayonnaise and tomatoes — just as she does with French toast — and the final one with blueberry jam. When she was a teenager, her mother Brenda would serve the matzah brei fritters alongside raspberry flavored milk.
The recipe has changed slightly over the generations. Brenda added garlic powder — an ingredient her mother, Leah Gittel, forbade during Passover. Avoiding garlic during the holiday is a custom in some observant Ashkenazi families. In this one, it traces back to Hungary, where Leah Gittel was raised. Each spring, the family braided fresh garlic and hung it over the stove so it would cure and be on hand for cooking throughout the year. Since it may have been splattered with hametz (ingredients that are not kosher for Passover), they avoided it during the holiday. That custom stuck even after Leah Gittel moved to the U.S. in 1931, and the tradition of hanging garlic over the stove faded.
Today, all six of Ruthy’s children — from Israel to Brooklyn — make the recipe, but Talya has followed in her great-grandmother Leah Gittel’s footsteps, opting to leave the garlic powder out. Here, she’s made it optional, so you can make the matzah brei fritters however you prefer.
Find Alison Roman’s matzah brei and many other matzah recipes here.
Ingredients
- 4 matzah sheets
- 1¼ cups boiling water
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 1 teaspoons garlic powder, optional
- 2 egg, beaten
- Neutral oil for frying
Preparation
Step 1
In a large bowl, break matzah into small pieces, roughly the size of cornflakes or smaller. Add boiling water, salt, pepper, garlic powder (if using), and mix well. Let the mixture sit for 2-5 minutes. Then stir in the eggs.
Step 2
In a large skillet over medium high heat, add ½ inch of oil and heat until shimmering, but not smoking. Add 2–3 tablespoons of the matzah mixture, then flatten it with a spatula to form a fritter about 2–3 inches wide. Repeat with the remaining mixture until the skillet is full. Fry until golden brown on both sides, about 2–3 minutes per side. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate or a wire rack, and repeat with the remaining mixture.
Step 3
Serve immediately, alongside fresh mayonnaise and sliced tomatoes.
