The Matzo Tortilla (a.k.a. Prezhenitsa/ Преженица)
00:00 Intro
01:06 Sauteeing the Onions
02:10 Soaking the Matzo
03:34 Cooking Prezhenitsa
Serves 4
Sauteed Onions:
1 large or 2 small yellow onions, diced (200-250g)
2 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp olive oil
Salt
Set a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the butter and oil. When the butter melts, add the onions and a generous pinch of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally until completely translucent and golden brown, about 20 min.
Prezhenitsa:
4 squares of matzo
3 eggs
1/2 tsp pomegranate molasses (optional)
2 Tbsp chopped parsley or dill leaves (optional)
Salt and pepper
Sauteed Onions (from the above recipe)
Oil and/or butter for frying as needed (2-3 Tbsp)
Break up the matzo into small pieces and place in a medium bowl. Cover with cold water and let sit for 5-10 min until mostly soft. Drain in a colander and squeeze out the water. Wipe out the bowl and crack the eggs into it. Beat thoroughly. Add the matzo, pomegranate molasses, parsley, sauteed onions, salt, and pepper to taste. Mix well, taste and adjust for salt.
Set a non-stick 8” (20cm) skillet over medium heat. Add 1-2 Tbsp olive oil. When the oil is hot, swirl the pan to coat it with oil. Add the matzo mix, flatten it out and tuck in the sides. Cover and cook until nicely browned, about 5-7 min. Dot the top with 1-2 Tbsp butter or drizzle with olive oil. Preheat a 10” (25cm) non-stick skillet over medium heat and dump the prezhenitsa into this larger pan raw side down. Cook uncovered for about 5 min or until firm and reading 170F (77C) in the center. Slide onto a plate. Cool for 5 minutes. Slice into pieces and enjoy.
A more traditional way to flip it that doesn’t require a second pan:
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35 Comments
#realcomment Hello Helen, why don't you interview Adam Ragusea or Ethan Chlebowski? I love this channel BTW.
A Happy Pesach to you and your family, Helen! ❤ from Israel!
Love this! Will definitely be making it this Passover week!
Ahhh! I grew up with boring matza brei around Passover time – if only we had this recipe instead! I need to find some pomegranate molasses one of these days 😉
Also I recommend a version of lasagna with matza instead of noodles – it's phenomenal! The matza becomes soft and has very mild mealy flavor that combines exceptionally well with cheese and marinara.
so, here's the thing. i grew up with matzoh brei just like you described, more like scrambled eggs, also sweet, so basically a broken-up matzoh french toast. then i was told it could be made like a pancake, similar to your recipe, and it could also be savory. so it could be interchangeable in that sense.
i still have matzoh brei for breakfast during passover generally, so i tend to go towards sweet. however, i have found chai spices, or simply cardamom, add a level of aroma and flavor that, well, you're not having plain old matzoh brei anymore. and it pairs very well with good strong tea.
just for reference, it cooks just fine in a well-seasoned cast iron skillet, and flips with a pancake turner (usually without breaking), with just a little butter. for one person, one matzoh and one egg works out perfectly. if you want onions, i'd sauté them up fresh as a side or a topping, with a little thyme, maybe.
Bolshaya spasibo, Helen!
Use scallions, and put the tops in the mix uncooked, instead of salt. try 1oz grated pecorino(or more, live it up!)
This was very timely: the same day you posted this video, I had tried to make the scrambled egg style matzo brei and had it come out very disappointing (I'm not sure if it's my technique or my palate that's changed, it's something I loved growing up). I had all the ingredients for this on hand, so I made it this morning and it turned out great (well, I waited too long to flip it and burned it a little, but lesson learned for next time). I will definitely be making this again.
Unrelated, but I used pomegranate molasses to round out a sandwich, and it worked well! Thanks for introducing me to that ingredient.
Funny, on Moravia and Slovakia "praženica" (prazhenitsa) = eggs with mushrooms, fried in onion 🙂 It is best if we use mushrooms picked in the forest 🙂
Most people I know think of matzo brei as a sweet breakfast food rather than a savory dish. Your recipe for matzo brei is very much like my Polish Bubbe used to make. I usually add diced peppers and mushrooms and spice it up a bit with garlic and pepper, but the basic recipe and method are the same. Delicious for any time of day! Hope you're having a Happy Pesach!
Do you think it would be possible to add a smallish amount of cabbage to this?
Not matzo, but I have a dish prepared similarly.
Instead of matzo, use spaghetti: cook and cool off a bit so you won't burn your hands mixing it
add spinach (I prefer the frozen one: cheaper, better for the environment, healthier, and already cut thinly helping with the mixing, of course defrost it first) and too much dried basil (if you think you've used a little too much basil, add more). Then add eggs and old dutch cheese (it's 'old' if it has been riping for 10-12 months), mix, and bake in the pan similarly as done in this video. Usually I also add some garlic and black pepper when defrosting the spinach. Of course salt is added when cooking the spaghetti.
For amounts, I usually use whole packages (500g dried spaghetti, 750g frozen spinach, 5 eggs, 200-300g cheese)
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Looks so tasty! Hm, I wonder if this could maybe work in a waffle iron? I'm very clumsy when it comes to flipping…
Thank you Helen!! So happy to see this video from you. In the past I’ve preferred the scrambled kind sweet, but this method is tempting me towards savory. I love that you put the pomegranate molasses in!! I want to make it this way now.
Maybe it’s weird, but because I always think of it when I see dishes like this that are flipped in the pan, it also made me wonder if it’s possible to make a version of Japanese okonomiyaki with matzo or just matzo meal, and the yam flour that it usually takes. I think the sauce would be the trickiest part depending on how strict one is with kitniyot, but now I want to experiment. The kosher market "near" me (an hour away! 😭) sells very good lamb bacon.
I feel like I’ve ignored matzo this year for cooking and opted towards other foods because so many times that "wet cracker" texture is too prominent in savory matzo dishes but you’ve definitely reminded me it doesn’t have to be that way!! Chag sameach ❤️
Oh Helen this is so interesting, my grandma always made it for me in more of a cake form, sort of a giant pancake composed of matzoh brei – this prezhenitsa really reminds me of that (though this is really extra large)! She always made it unseasoned though (no onions or herbs, just salt and pepper) and put lingonberry jam on it. Her mother was a Russian Jew (from Rostov), I wonder if maybe that's why she made it that way… Anyway this looks absolutely delicious, I'm definitely going to make it tomorrow!
Chag Pesach Sameach! <3
I haven't tried this one because I'm allergic to all alliums (i know horrible right?) but I did finally try matzo brei and i loved that. Your video inspired me, as they usually do to be fair. Thank you!
This looks so delicious!!! Surprised my Russian Dad didn’t tell us about this !!!!
I make mine like your grandmother. Both savory and sweet with apples, sugar , vanilla.
Great video. Will absolutely try this recipe.
Made it. Loved it. Thanks!
Is Helen Rennie jewish?
chag sameach helen!!! i love your channel, your onion-chopping method without the horizontal cut has seriously changed my cooking! how exciting to learn you are jewish too (as i am). i hope you had a wonderful passover.
I am loving this recipe! I am making it with hametz now (because I can) and it is just as good. It is very forgiving of incmpetent cooks like myself, bad at ttiming, bad at judging pan temps, getting distracted — yet it always comes out looking elegant and tasting delicious. This is my new favorite brunch dish, for company or just for myself. The only part I'm struggling with is the flip. I am SUPER lazy about dirtying extra dishes (Helen love you for paying attention to that – you are welcome in my kitchen any time). The flip into the pan lid was pretty easy, but I don't have any lids the right size without edges. I used my spatula as an off ramp to get it over the lip — stilll broke up a little but that part was hidden at the bottom and it still looked great.
I will definitely check out your classes if I ever make it to Boston!
Our basic matzo brei is also sweet, and usually flavored with cinnamon sugar and nutmeg. I've failed at brei because I didn't understand why and when to steam it to get the center cooked, so I'd scramble it to get the right doneness.
No one has mentioned matzo crack, which is similar to 'Christmas crack'. Slather the matzo in a well done caramel, cool and cover that with chocolate and sprinkle with fancy salt.
That look so delicious!
For some reason, my family did not make matzoh brei when I was a kid, and when I encountered recipes for it when I was an adult I confess I was kind of underwhelmed. So it made me smile when you admitted to a similar reaction — plus this matzoh frittata thing really looks much more to my taste. Gotta remember this for next year!
Wow, really happy to see this recipe…. My father makes the best matzo brei (in my non biased opinion 😉) we soke the matzo in milk and warm water and keep the matzo in big pieces, but the best thing about it is the filling! Leeks, mushrooms and all kinds of leafy greens fryed in butter. With swiss cheese and lots of black pepper. Mmm really hungry for some reason..
I make something very similar throughout the summer to go with a mixed greens salad, the only difference is I use chicken stock instead of water to soak the matzo. Never knew it was an actual dish!
I’m proud of you
Oh. This is disappointing. You're making "brei". I was all excited for a new matzo recipe…
I make matzo brei in a pancake like this, but it’s a breakfast dish served with butter and jam or maple syrup.
Oh I am trying this. As a convert, I totally don’t get matzo brie. This looks good.