Migas
Encyclopedia
Migas (ˈmiɣas) is the name used for a dish in Spanish
and Portuguese cuisine
and a significantly different dish in Tex-Mex cuisine
.
. Originally eaten as a breakfast
that made use of leftover bread
or torta
s, today, migas are a fashionable first course served for lunch and dinner in restaurants in Spain
. Some historical sources associate the origins of this dish to North African couscous
.
The ingredients of migas vary across the provinces of Spain. In Extremadura
, this dish includes day-old bread soaked in water, garlic
, pimentón, olive oil, and contains spinach or alfalfa, often served with pan-fried pork ribs. In Teruel
, Aragon
, the migas include chorizo
and bacon
, and are often served with grape
s.
In La Mancha
, the migas manchegas are of a more elaborate preparation, but contain basically the same ingredients as the Aragonese migas.
In Andalucia, migas are often eaten the morning of the matanza (butchery) and are served with a stew including curdled blood, liver, kidneys, and other offal
, traditionally eaten right after butchering a pig, a sheep or a goat. The migas are often cooked over an open stove or coals.
. They are usually made with leftover bread, either wheat bread traditionally associated with the Alentejo region in Southern Portugal, or corn bread as used in Beira
. In Alentejo migas can also be made with potatoes (Migas de Batata) and no bread is included.
Garlic and olive oil are always an ingredient. Other ingredients such as pork meat dripping, wild asparagus, tomato, and seasonings such red pepper paste and fresh coriander are usually included in Alentejo, while in Beira the other ingredients typically are cooked kale cut in caldo verde
style, cooked beans (pinto or kidney beans) and sometimes cooked rice.
Migas usually accompany meats or other main dishes.
mixed with strips of corn tortilla; the meatless version includes diced onions, sliced chile peppers, diced fresh tomatoes, and cheese
, plus various spices and condiments (e.g. salsa
or pico de gallo
). Migas are typically served with refried beans
, and corn or flour tortillas are used to enfold all of the ingredients into tacos. In some areas, it may have been traditionally eaten during Lent
. The meat version adds a spicy chorizo
to the standard ingredients. The tortilla
strips can also be deep-fried until crunchy (not traditional).
Spanish cuisine
Spanish cuisine consists of a variety of dishes, which stem from differences in geography, culture and climate. It is heavily influenced by seafood available from the waters that surround the country, and reflects the country's deep maritime roots...
and Portuguese cuisine
Portuguese cuisine
Portuguese cuisine is characterised by rich, filling and full-flavored dishes and is closely related to Mediterranean cuisine. The influence of Portugal's former colonial possessions is also notable, especially in the wide variety of spices used. These spices include piri piri and black pepper, as...
and a significantly different dish in Tex-Mex cuisine
Tex-Mex cuisine
"Tex-Mex" is a term used to describe a regional American cuisine that blends food products available in the United States and the culinary creations of Mexican-Americans influenced by the cuisines of Mexico. The cuisine has spread from border states such as Texas and those in the Southwestern...
.
Spanish migas
Migas are a traditional dish in Spanish cuisineSpanish cuisine
Spanish cuisine consists of a variety of dishes, which stem from differences in geography, culture and climate. It is heavily influenced by seafood available from the waters that surround the country, and reflects the country's deep maritime roots...
. Originally eaten as a breakfast
Breakfast
Breakfast is the first meal taken after rising from a night's sleep, most often eaten in the early morning before undertaking the day's work...
that made use of leftover bread
Bread
Bread is a staple food prepared by cooking a dough of flour and water and often additional ingredients. Doughs are usually baked, but in some cuisines breads are steamed , fried , or baked on an unoiled frying pan . It may be leavened or unleavened...
or torta
Torta
Torta is a Spanish word with a huge array of culinary meanings depending from the area and period of history in question. It originated in different regional variants of flatbread, of which the torta de gazpacho and torta cenceña are still surviving in certain areas of central Spain. Tortas are...
s, today, migas are a fashionable first course served for lunch and dinner in restaurants in Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
. Some historical sources associate the origins of this dish to North African couscous
Couscous
Couscous is a Berber dish of semolina traditionally served with a meat or vegetable stew spooned over it. Couscous is a staple food throughout Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia.-Etymology:...
.
Extremadura
Extremadura is an autonomous community of western Spain whose capital city is Mérida. Its component provinces are Cáceres and Badajoz. It is bordered by Portugal to the west...
, this dish includes day-old bread soaked in water, garlic
Garlic
Allium sativum, commonly known as garlic, is a species in the onion genus, Allium. Its close relatives include the onion, shallot, leek, chive, and rakkyo. Dating back over 6,000 years, garlic is native to central Asia, and has long been a staple in the Mediterranean region, as well as a frequent...
, pimentón, olive oil, and contains spinach or alfalfa, often served with pan-fried pork ribs. In Teruel
Teruel
Teruel is a town in Aragon, eastern Spain, and the capital of Teruel Province. It has a population of 34,240 in 2006 making it one of the least populated provincial capitals in the country...
, Aragon
Aragon
Aragon is a modern autonomous community in Spain, coextensive with the medieval Kingdom of Aragon. Located in northeastern Spain, the Aragonese autonomous community comprises three provinces : Huesca, Zaragoza, and Teruel. Its capital is Zaragoza...
, the migas include chorizo
Chorizo
Chorizo is a term encompassing several types of pork sausages originating from the Iberian Peninsula.In English, it is usually pronounced , , or , but sometimes ....
and bacon
Bacon
Bacon is a cured meat prepared from a pig. It is first cured using large quantities of salt, either in a brine or in a dry packing; the result is fresh bacon . Fresh bacon may then be further dried for weeks or months in cold air, boiled, or smoked. Fresh and dried bacon must be cooked before eating...
, and are often served with grape
Grape
A grape is a non-climacteric fruit, specifically a berry, that grows on the perennial and deciduous woody vines of the genus Vitis. Grapes can be eaten raw or they can be used for making jam, juice, jelly, vinegar, wine, grape seed extracts, raisins, molasses and grape seed oil. Grapes are also...
s.
In La Mancha
La Mancha
La Mancha is a natural and historical region or greater comarca located on an arid, fertile, elevated plateau of central Spain, south of Madrid, stretching between the Montes de Toledo and the western spurs of the Serrania de Cuenca. It is bounded on the south by the Sierra Morena and on the north...
, the migas manchegas are of a more elaborate preparation, but contain basically the same ingredients as the Aragonese migas.
In Andalucia, migas are often eaten the morning of the matanza (butchery) and are served with a stew including curdled blood, liver, kidneys, and other offal
Offal
Offal , also called, especially in the United States, variety meats or organ meats, refers to the internal organs and entrails of a butchered animal. The word does not refer to a particular list of edible organs, which varies by culture and region, but includes most internal organs other than...
, traditionally eaten right after butchering a pig, a sheep or a goat. The migas are often cooked over an open stove or coals.
Portuguese migas
Migas are also a traditional dish in Portuguese cuisinePortuguese cuisine
Portuguese cuisine is characterised by rich, filling and full-flavored dishes and is closely related to Mediterranean cuisine. The influence of Portugal's former colonial possessions is also notable, especially in the wide variety of spices used. These spices include piri piri and black pepper, as...
. They are usually made with leftover bread, either wheat bread traditionally associated with the Alentejo region in Southern Portugal, or corn bread as used in Beira
Beira
Beira can refer to:*Beira , the mother to all the gods and goddesses in the Celtic mythology of Scotland*Beira, Azores, a small village on São Jorge Island....
. In Alentejo migas can also be made with potatoes (Migas de Batata) and no bread is included.
Garlic and olive oil are always an ingredient. Other ingredients such as pork meat dripping, wild asparagus, tomato, and seasonings such red pepper paste and fresh coriander are usually included in Alentejo, while in Beira the other ingredients typically are cooked kale cut in caldo verde
Caldo verde
Caldo verde is a popular soup in Portuguese cuisine.The basic ingredients for caldo verde are potatoes, onions and kale . Common additional ingredients are garlic, salt, and olive oil. Some recipes add meat...
style, cooked beans (pinto or kidney beans) and sometimes cooked rice.
Migas usually accompany meats or other main dishes.
Tex-Mex migas
In Tex-Mex cuisine, migas are a traditional breakfast dish consisting of scrambled eggsScrambled eggs
Scrambled eggs is a dish made from beaten whites and yolks of eggs . Beaten eggs are put into a hot pot or pan and stirred frequently, forming curds as they coagulate.-Sample preparation:...
mixed with strips of corn tortilla; the meatless version includes diced onions, sliced chile peppers, diced fresh tomatoes, and cheese
Cheese
Cheese is a generic term for a diverse group of milk-based food products. Cheese is produced throughout the world in wide-ranging flavors, textures, and forms....
, plus various spices and condiments (e.g. salsa
Salsa (sauce)
Salsa may refer to any type of sauce. In American English, it usually refers to the spicy, often tomato based, hot sauces typical of Mexican and Central American cuisine, particularly those used as dips. In British English, the word typically refers to salsa cruda, which is common in Mexican ,...
or pico de gallo
Pico de gallo
In Mexican cuisine, pico de gallo , also called salsa fresca, is a fresh, uncooked condiment made from chopped tomato, white onion, and chilis...
). Migas are typically served with refried beans
Refried beans
Refried beans is a dish of cooked and mashed beans and is a traditional staple of Mexican and Tex-Mex cuisine, although each cuisine has a somewhat different approach when making the dish.-Ingredients and preparation:...
, and corn or flour tortillas are used to enfold all of the ingredients into tacos. In some areas, it may have been traditionally eaten during Lent
Lent
In the Christian tradition, Lent is the period of the liturgical year from Ash Wednesday to Easter. The traditional purpose of Lent is the preparation of the believer – through prayer, repentance, almsgiving and self-denial – for the annual commemoration during Holy Week of the Death and...
. The meat version adds a spicy chorizo
Chorizo
Chorizo is a term encompassing several types of pork sausages originating from the Iberian Peninsula.In English, it is usually pronounced , , or , but sometimes ....
to the standard ingredients. The tortilla
Tortilla
In Mexico and Central America, a tortilla is a type of thin, unleavened flat bread, made from finely ground maize...
strips can also be deep-fried until crunchy (not traditional).
See also
- GachasGachasGachas is an ancestral basic dish from central and southern Spain. Its main ingredients are flour, water, olive oil, garlic and salt.- Origin :Gachas are based on a very ancient Iberian flour-based staple food preparation....
- Torta de gazpachoTorta de GazpachoTorta de Gazpacho is a type of torta, or flat bread, used to prepare a dish called Gazpacho or Gazpachos in La Mancha and Southeast Spain, including Murcia and parts of the Valencian Community....
- ChilaquilesChilaquilesChilaquiles is a traditional Mexican dish. Typically, corn tortillas cut in quarters and lightly fried are the basis of the dish. Green, red salsa or mole, is poured over the crisp tortilla triangles, called totopos. The mixture is simmered until the tortilla starts softening. Eggs and pulled...
, another Mexican dish based on cooking tortillas - Matzah breiMatzah breiMatzah brei , sometimes spelled matzah brie or matzo brei, is a dish of Ashkenazi Jewish origin made from matzo fried with eggs.Numerous recipes exist for this dish...
, a somewhat similar Ashkenazi breakfast dish in which matzoh is used instead of tortillas - French toastFrench toastFrench toast or Eggy Bread, is a food made with bread and eggs. It is a Christmas time dessert in Portugal and Brazil.Where French toast is served as a sweet dish, milk, sugar, or cinnamon are also commonly added before frying, and it may be then topped with sugar, butter, fruit, syrup, or other...