Migas with Chorizo, Peppers, and Fried Eggs
TIME/SERVINGS
Makes: 6 servings
From: César: Recipes from a Tapas Bar , by Olivier Said, James Mellgren, Maggie Pond
Migas was born on the harsh Spanish plains, created by the shepherds who sometimes had little more than stale bread, wild garlic, olive oil, and, if they were lucky, peppers. Even today, shepherds out with their flocks will cook up huge batches of migas over an open fire in a giant pan that looks like a cross between a paella pan and a wok. Our version makes individual portions with the luxurious addition of chorizo and fried eggs. The eggs must be cooked quickly and efficiently; you may want to practice a couple of times before you make the dish for company. Think of our version of migas as an Old World predecessor of huevos rancheros.
For the fried peppers:
- Extra-virgin olive oil, for frying
- 1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1/4-inch julienne
- 2 Anaheim chiles, seeded and cut into 1/4-inch julienne
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the migas:
- 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 medium yellow onions, diced
- 4 teaspoons finely chopped garlic
- 5 ounces chorizo, cut into 1/4-inch cubes (about 1 1/2 5-inch links)
- 1 tablespoon Gallega Spice
- 3 cups breadcrumbs from a day-old sweet baguette
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
- Extra-virgin olive oil, for frying
- 6 large eggs
- Heat 1/4 inch of oil in a large frying pan over high heat until drops of water sizzle. Quickly fry the pepper strips in small batches until the skins begin to blister and brown slightly, about 2 minutes. Using a skimmer, transfer to a colander to drain. Season well with salt and pepper.
To make the migas:
- Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a large, heavy-bottomed frying pan and add the onions. Cover and cook until the onions are translucent, about 5 minutes. Uncover, add the garlic, and cook for 2 minutes more. Add the chorizo and cook until it gives off most of its oil, about 3 minutes. Add the Gallega Spice and cook for 2 minutes more. Stir in the breadcrumbs, making sure they absorb all the juices from the pan, and cook until the mixture is lightly toasted, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Divide the mixture among 6 individual cazuelas (terra-cotta casseroles) or other shallow, ovenproof dishes and garnish with the peppers, tucking them in and around the breadcrumb mixture. Keep in a warm oven while you cook the eggs, or, if made ahead, reheat in a 250°F oven just before you cook the eggs.
- To cook the eggs, in a small nonstick pan, heat 1/8 inch of oil over high heat to the smoking point. Break 1 egg into the hot oil. Season with salt and pepper. Working very quickly, fold in the edge of the egg white with a heat-resistant rubber spatula or wooden spoon. Then spoon some of the hot oil over the egg so that it puffs up and crisps around the edges. All of this must be done in a matter of seconds so that the yolk remains soft. Using a slotted spoon, remove the egg and place it on top of a hot migas. Repeat for each serving. Serve immediately.
Beverage pairing: Bodegas Lan Reserva Rioja, Spain. The hunger-busting combination of chiles, eggs, and chorizo wants a wine with quaffability, but enough character to be interesting. A red wine with earthiness, fruit, spice, and not too much complexity fits the bill, and such a wine can be found in Spain, where this dish also comes from. This Rioja has all that, and is juicy and delicious. Serve at cellar temperature.
This recipe, while from a trusted source, may not have been tested by the CHOW food team.
COMMENTS | ADD YOUR OWN
What is a "sweet baguette"?
"Gallega spice" is a specific product being (not so subtly) being sold by a commercial sponsor, right? There's no spice that goes by that name in Spain. It sounds like it's just garden-variety spicy pimentón (paprika)--which is from Extremadura, not Galicia (though it is sprinkled over octopus there).
It strikes me as old to post a recipe with a brand name that can only be obtained from one store, when the product is widely available under other names.
P.S. I don't know what sweet baguette is, but you just use regular left over bread to make migas. I would use a lighter olive oil for the deep frying, not EVOO.
strike me as odd, I mean.
Ack--strikes me as odd. Please make the typos stop!
hi guys: Gallega spice is a proprietary mixture made by the restaurant, Cesar, that can be approximated by mixing together pimenton, paprika, and cayenne pepper - http://www.barcesar.com/mercado/condi... As for the sweet baguette, that is another way of referring to a baguette that is _not_ sourdough (in other words, a standard French-style baguette).
Pimentón is paprika... it can be sweet, spicy, or bittersweet. You can use any of these in migas, depending on your preferences.
Its description as an old world predecessor to Huevos Rancheros is wrong & insulting.
Huevos Rancheros which are traditionally done by poaching, not frying, the eggs are just a specific version of the pre-hispanic tradition of Huevos Ahogados (granted the chicken eggs have mostly displaced the traditional Turkey, Chicken, Turtle Eggs... or Carp roe).
I like a fried egg with about anything! so, any recipe that requires a leaky egg yolk, I'm all for it .. will try
is the chorizo Spanish chorizo or Mexican chorizo, (to which definition the chorizo link takes you)?
(I'd prefer to see these tradional regional recipes offered by the likes of butterfly and eatnopal rather than a trendy restaurant's interpretation)
This looks delicious! Mmm
I would think that the--"whatever spice mix you call it"---would get lost with the Chorizo, a usually spicy sausage. Ask a frenchman for a sweet bagautte and he'll look at you cross eyed.
I would think that the--"whatever spice mix you call it"---would get lost with the Chorizo, a usually spicy sausage. Ask a frenchman for a sweet baguette and he'll look at you cross eyed.
I would think that the--"whatever spice mix you call it"---would get lost with the Chorizo, a usually spicy sausage. Ask a frenchman for a sweet baguette and he'll look at you cross eyed.
I was surprised to see nothing mentioned of the mexican version of this recipe. I grew up eating and now cook frequently a similar version with tortillas instead of bread. and the eggs are scrambled! Although I have to say It sounds better with poached eggs.