Way out yonder in the Texas hill country (namely in Austin), a little dish called "migas" is an item found on almost every restaurant menu. I'd actually never even heard of it before visiting the area.
"Migas" is Spanish for "crumbs." This simple Tex-Mex dish is comprised of eggs, sauteed tomato/onion/jalapeno mixture, fried tortillas or tortillas chips (hence, the "crumbs") and cheese scrambled together, and it's simply delicious.
What's great about migas is that they can be served for breakfast, brunch, lunch, dinner and even make for a great pre-hangover meal after a long night out at the bars (which is why you can find many a person ordering them at the late-night diners in Austin). Quick to whip up, migas take less than 10 minutes to prepare and you can even cheat and use salsa from the jar instead of chopping and cooking the vegetable components. And for added flavor, some cooks fry up Mexican chorizo with the vegetables.
But, being somewhat of a purist, my recipe for migas doesn't add anything extra or skip any steps. Well, except for the frying of the tortillas part — I prefer to use crushed up, crunchy tortilla chips (and that's what you'll see used in many versions of this dish in Austin eateries anyway). It's also a great way to use up those little pieces of chips that end up at the bottom of your bag of Tostitos.
Migas are almost always served with a side of warm, soft tortillas and black beans. Garnishes for migas run the gamut — sliced or diced avocado, salsa, pico de gallo, hot sauce sour cream, cilantro — and can be thrown on just before serving or on the side.
The next time you need a quick meal and don't want to go searching for or spend a fortune on ingredients, whip up this dish for a true taste of Texas.
Migas
Serves 2
Ingredients:
4 large eggs
Salt and pepper, as needed
2 tablespoons olive or canola oil
1/4 large white or yellow onion, chopped
1 fresh serrano or jalapeño chile, seeded and chopped
1/2 large bell pepper (any color), chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium or large tomato, seeded and chopped
About 2 handfuls of crushed tortilla chips, reserving a few tablespoons for garnish
1/2 cup shredded cheddar, pepper jack or Monterrey Jack cheese
Garnish with sliced or diced avocado, salsa, sour cream and cilantro (optional)
Directions:
1. In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs with a pinch of salt and pepper and set aside.0x000A
2. Heat oil in a medium-sized saute pan to medium-high heat. Add the onion, chile, bell pepper, garlic and a pinch of salt and pepper. Saute for a minute or two, then add the tomato. Lower the heat to medium-low and let the mixture simmer for five minutes, stirring frequently.
3. Pour the egg mixture into the pan, add the crushed tortilla chips (minus the reserved ones) and fold all of the ingredients together until just mixed together. Allow the mixture to sit for about a minute, until the bottom is just set, and stir the mixture gently, until the eggs are firm but not dry. Sprinkle some cheese on top, quickly fold it in, then remove the pan from the heat.
4. Sprinkle the rest of the cheese on top of the migas, divide out the portions, garnish with any or all of the garnish ingredients and serve immediately. Or serve the garnishes on the side and let guests garnish their migas at the table.
