Brei, the Yiddish word for fried matzo, is a traditional Passover breakfast dish that, with the addition of wild mushrooms and caramelized onions transforms into the savory brunch dish, Mushroom Brei. It can easily become a dinner side dish, a kugel, for the Passover Sedar.

Sorry, I don’t have any pictures. By the time I decided I should post this, it was gone.

A delicious twist on an old classic that is great as a side dish,  too. You can bake it in the oven as a kugel. Directions are below.

Caramelized onions just make everything better, so if I am making them I usually make twice as much.  They can be made in advance and are wonderful in sandwiches (on matzo of course) with leftover brisket and horseradish sauce, stirred into mashed potatoes (add a couple eggs and you can bake that as a kugel too), with grilled veggies or chopped fine and mixed into your matzo ball mixture.

Passover Wild Mushroom Brei

• 4 T oil or butter (about)
• 1 lb onions, sliced thin
• ¾ lb wild mushrooms, sliced
• 6 matzos
• 6 eggs beaten with 1/3 C water or milk
• salt and pepper
• ¼ C parsley, chopped

 

Heat 1 T of the oil. Add the sliced onions and sprinkle with salt.  The salt pulls out some of the juices so the onions will caramelize faster. Slowly sauté the onions until caramelized.  Set aside.  Heat 1 more T of the oil.  Sauté the mushrooms.  Season with salt and pepper.  Add to the onions.  Soak the matzos briefly in water.  Drain and crumble into the egg mixture.  Add the onion mixture and combine well.  Heat a large skillet with the remaining oil.  Add the matzo mixture and stir until set.  Sprinkle with the parsley & serve.

 

Var: Kugel

Omit the milk and add 1 C chicken or veggie stock. A 1/2 tsp thyme is nice too.  Throw into a greased baking dish and bake at 350°F for 30 minutes or so until golden and just set (just a tiny bit wiggly, not watery in the middle).