Name: Matzo Brei with Smoked Salmon and Dill
Total time: 20 min
Ingredients: 2½ tablespoons unsalted butter or schmaltz; 2/3 cup chopped onion; 1/2 teaspoon pepper , divided; 1/4 teaspoon table salt , divided; 3 large eggs; 2 sheets plain, unsalted matzo , (about 2 ounces), broken into approximate 1½-inch pieces; 1 ounce smoked salmon , torn into ½-inch strips; 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill

Why This Recipe Works

Matzo brei (Yiddish for “fried matzo”) is an Ashkenazi dish of eggs, matzo (unleavened flatbread made from flour and water), and fat that's eaten during Passover, the Jewish holiday during which observers avoid eating leavened food. To make a scrambled version with hearty egg presence, we used three eggs for two sheets of matzo; that way, the cooked dish was cohesive and boasted tender pockets of egg. Soaking the broken matzo pieces in the whisked eggs cut out the usual separate step of soaking them in water or milk before cooking. Frying the egg-matzo mixture, as well as plenty of chopped onion, in flavorful fat such as butter or schmaltz suffused the dish with rich flavor that worked well as a backdrop for a range of toppings and seasonings. Liberally seasoning the dish with salt and pepper made it ultrasavory. Smoked salmon added savory flavor and acted as a silky counterpoint to the crunchy matzo. Tearing the salmon into bite-size strips made it easy to eat. Fresh dill is a natural pairing with salmon, and the feathery chopped leaves added bright flavor. Crème fraîche contributed a bit of tangy decadence and creaminess.

Before You Begin

The brittleness of matzo makes it challenging to break into uniform pieces; don't worry if yours are slightly irregular. Different brands of matzo hydrate at slightly different rates; start checking for softness at the beginning of the time range in step 2. We like to serve this with a dollop of crème fraîche.

Instructions

Melt butter in 10-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion, ¼ teaspoon pepper, and ⅛ teaspoon salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion has softened and started to brown, 6 to 8 minutes.

While onion cooks, whisk eggs, remaining ¼ teaspoon pepper, and remaining ⅛ teaspoon salt in medium bowl until no streaks of white remain. Add matzo pieces to egg mixture. Stir and fold until matzo is thoroughly coated with egg and pieces have softened (they should maintain their shape, but you should be able to break them easily with spatula), 2 to 4 minutes.

Add matzo mixture to skillet and gently but constantly stir and fold mixture onto itself, scraping along bottom and sides of skillet as needed until eggs are soft and just set, about 2 minutes. Transfer to serving dish, top with smoked salmon, sprinkle with dill, and serve.