Migas Madness

posted July 16, 2008
  by Josh Gunn, Bachelor Chow

One combination that goes particularly well together is "leftover" and "bachelor." Unfortunately for this single guy, leftovers remind me of feet: they might be fun to fondle after they're given a good wash, but in general, they're nasty and smell funny. With the exception of some choice Cajun/Creole dishes like Gumbo and Jambalaya, two-day old leftovers just don't taste good, and in five days, they're downright gross. I must admit, however, that there is a delicious, Tex-Mex dish that requires leftovers—and more specifically, leftover tortillas: Migas!

Last week I introduced my recipe for Huevos Rancheros, which requires---wait, owwwwwww, I have a headache behind my left eyeball. I hate those. Oowwwwwww---where was I? Oh yes, now that I can see again: last week I introduced my recipe for Huevos Rancheros, which requires some corn tortillas. The groovy thing about corn tortillas is that they're cheap cheap cheap. The problem with corn tortillas is they don't keep keep keep (they go stale in a few days).

What's great about this situation, however, is that Migas is another great breakfast dish that you make with stale tortillas! As an added bonus, Migas pleases any vegetarian buddies you might have; you make it with stale stuff but serve it with fresh vegetable stuff—like cubes of avocado. Vegetarians everywhere love avocado. Unless, of course, they are allergic to avocado. I've yet to meet a vegetarian or vegan that was allergic to avocado. I know a vegetarian who is allergic to gluten, another to shellfish, and yet another to my cat, but not a one who turns up his or her nose to avocado. Therefore, Migas is a perfect dish.

Migas apparently means "crumbs" in Spanish, and was created to avoid wasting any stale bread products in Spain. In Spain and Portugal today, the dish is made with all sorts of things mixed in with breadcrumbs or leftover tortillas: got some bread scraps and almost-awful offal lying around? Why not make Migas for breakfast? As the dish traveled to the states, however, somehow fried eggs were added along with fresh tomatoes and onions, so that Migas became the "Tex-Mex" dish we know today: eggs with a bunch of yummy, leftover stuff in it.

For the Fourth of July weekend I hosted five friends at my place. Although we went out for dinner, I was responsible for breakfast for three mornings. The first morning I made my famous Eggs Benedict recipe. The second morning I made last week's recipe, Huevos Rancheros. The last morning together I used my leftover corn tortillas to make Migas, and my guests were thrilled and stilled (that is, immobilized because they ate too much).

There's something about the mixed texture of the crunchy, fried tortillas with the soft and cheesy egg that makes eating Migas fun. This recipe is especially good for morning crowds, as an ample quantity is fairly easy to make. Just remember it’s the contrast between freshly made salsa and the eggs that makes Migas so good.


Dr. Bachelor's Ultralicious Migas Madness Recipe
http://www.cdkitchen.com/


Serves/Makes: 4
Ready in: < 30 minutes

* 2 medium tomatoes, cubed
* 1 yellow or white onion, chopped finely
* 1 handful/clump of fresh cilantro, washed and chopped
* salt and pepper to taste
* 8 corn tortillas (more or less, depends on size and taste), cut into narrow slivers
* 4 small jalapeno peppers, seeded and chopped
* 1/4 cup olive oil
* 6 large eggs
* 1 dash hot sauce, or to taste
* 3 tablespoons milk, cream, or half-and-half, as needed
* 1 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese (or to taste)
* 1 diced avocado
* sour cream (for garnish)

First, make a fresh salsa by taking half of the chopped tomatoes, onions, and jalapenos and mixing it with the cilantro and salt and pepper to taste. Set this aside.

Scramble your eggs with the milk, cream, or half-and-half and the hot sauce and set aside.

Warm the oil in a large pan on medium and gently fry the tortilla strips. Once the strips are a golden brown, remove from oil on a plate covered with a paper towel to drain. Now, add the remaining onions and jalapeno to the oil and sauté until soft. When these are soft, add the remaining tomato. When the tomato is soft, drain any excess liquid/oil and return the pan to the stove.

Now, pour in your egg and scramble with the vegetables. When the egg is still a little liquidy dump in your cheese and fried tortilla. Once everything is combined and the cheese has melted, serve immediately topped with your homemade salsa and cubed avocado. Add a dollop of sour cream and you're good to go. Yum!

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