Dinner Tonight: Migas, Tex-Mex Style
Migas is the Spanish word for crumbs, and refers to the leftover bread originally used in this traditional Spanish dish, which was crumbled and sautéed in olive oil, perhaps with garlic or onion, sometimes peppers, and topped with a fried egg or two. Somewhere on its way from Spain to Mexico, the bread was replaced with leftover tortillas, cheese was added, and the eggs became scrambled to make this version, a Tex Mex tradition. But the name, migas, hung on. The version I made, from the Saralegui family's cookbook Our Latin Table, was creamy and satisfying, a twist on scrambled eggs imbued with the corny flavor of crumbled tortilla chips.
The authors (who hail from Spain via Cuba to New York) encourage you to experiment, and this dish could definitely accommodate lots of spare ingredients hanging out in the fridge: a few spring onions, some sautéed mushrooms, and various herbs. It's often served next to refried beans, but it would also find a home on a bed of mesclun greens. As long as you stick with the roasted peppers, corn tortilla chips, and top it with salsa, the spirit of the dish will remain the same.
About the author: Blake Royer lives in Brooklyn and spends most of his free time cooking and writing about it here at Serious Eats and on The Paupered Chef. From 9 to 5 weekdays, he works as an assistant book editor in Manhattan.
Migas
- serves 6 -
Adapted from Our Latin Table
Ingredients
12 eggs
1/3 cup milk
4 roasted peppers, combination of red and green
1/2 cup Monterey Jack cheese
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups crumbled tortilla chips
Salsa
Procedure
1. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs and milk. Stir in the roasted peppers, cheese, and a few pinches of salt and pepper.
2. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the olive oil. Stir the tortilla chips into the eggs and pour it all into the pan. (Alternatively, you could brown strips of corn tortilla in the oil for a few minutes until crispy, then add the eggs).
3. Scramble the eggs, stirring occasionally, until cooked through to desired consistency. Serve with salsa.
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5 Comments:
I freaking love migas. Of course, the migas I remember eating as a kid were not like this recipe but of course everybody likes something a little different. Here's the recipe I remember.
1 10/15 onion or sweet onion
15 corn tortillas
vegetable oil
tomato sauce
10-12 eggs
1. Heat oil in pan and add diced onion. Cook until translucent.
2. Add quartered tortillas and fry a bit.
3. Add can or two of tomato sauce and let cook.
4. Fry eggs over easy in a differnt pan.
5. Serve migas and top with 2 fried eggs
Ahh, that takes me back a few years. That was a typical after church breakfast.
Dave the Barbarian Chef at 4:38PM on 04/10/08
I invented a breakfast when I was a kid. I'd beat a few eggs, mash up a bunch of tostitos, and mix it all together with some garlic powder, salt, pepper, and a bunch of parmesan. Then I'd make a pancake out of it all in a frying pan and melt a couple slices of cheese on top. Oh man...
DanielJ at 12:40AM on 04/11/08
I love migas, kinda surprised the name goes back to true Spanish cooking. At Jalisco style taquerias around here they call them chiliquiles and tend to be heavy on the cheese on top. Machacado is a variation I like- pretty much the same onions, tomatos, eggs except the tortilla pieces are replaced with shredded dried beef. Its a very hearty breakfast and usually not as greasy.
Xtevan at 12:59AM on 04/11/08
Add a bit of sour cream or creme fraiche to finish the migas. Real luxuriant!
HoustonJoe at 9:29AM on 04/11/08
I grew up in Texas and then went to UT Austin for college. Many people think of Austin as the home of migas, and this is where I first fell in love with them. My FAVORITE recipe for migas is from Homesick Texan's blog. It's incredible. Please give the recipe (and her blog) a try!
http://homesicktexan.blogspot.com/2008/05/migas-in-morning.html
misplacedtexan at 1:16AM on 05/05/09