Today we would like to share a dish that may not be well known to people outside of Spain: Spanish migas. This dish comes with an interesting history lesson. Throughout time Spanish migas has evolved making a once humble dish more popular. Here we will explain the history of migas and its evolution with more “luxurious” ingredients.
What are Migas
Spanish migas or migas del pastor (shepherd’s breadcrumbs) is a traditional dish from Castilla La Mancha region in Spain. Migas food are very typical in this area because shepherds lived in this region. The migas plate was considered a poor person’s meal as it was prepared with the stale bread from the day before.
This “meal” was made with leftover food. The concept behind this dish was to make the best of the bread even after it goes stale, as is the case with torrijas. A very basic concept in the Mediterranean diet.
The shepherds would normally spend several days in the mountains of the region. So, their rations of bread would go stale after some days and instead of throwing it away they created a new dish.
An authentic migas recipe has only a few ingredients. Indeed it was not intended as a complete meal, but only as sustenance until the shepherds returned to their village. The recipe for migas is simple, as it includes whatever the shepherds took with them.
How to Make Migas
With these simple ingredients, you can create a rich, affordable, and hearty dish that’s perfect for staying warm in cold weather. Today, it’s common to find modern variations of migas, evolving from the original recipe crafted by humble shepherds years ago.
Ingredients
1 loaf of stale bread (cut into small cubes)
4 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
4 cloves garlic (sliced)
1 teaspoon smoked paprika (optional: sweet or hot paprika)
Salt to taste
150g chorizo (sliced or diced)
150g pancetta (diced)
Instructions
- Prepare the bread: Lightly moisten the stale bread cubes with water.
- Cook the garlic and meat: Heat the oil, fry the garlic until golden, then cook the chorizo or pancetta until crispy. Set the meat aside.
- Fry the bread: Add the bread to the same pan and cook until crispy, about 10 to 15 minutes.
- Season: Add paprika and salt. Add the cooked meat again.
- Serve: Optionally, top with fried eggs or roasted peppers. Enjoy!
Different Spanish Migas Recipes
A popular version of the chorizo migas is to also add fried eggs. Spanish migas with fried eggs are a great choice for trendy restaurants that want to pay homage to their ancestors while also attracting urbanite people. It is a reinvention that always delights anyone who orders it. It is also customary to add grapes to migas as it provides an excellent contrast to they typically salty plate. You can even have it with chocolate as it provides the same contrast.
Whether you try an easy migas recipe or a more elaborate version of the dish, you will surely enjoy the simplicity of the ingredients. You can eat migas for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. You can find it as tapas as well. As it can be enjoyed anytime. Migas is very inexpensive with simple ingredients and a little art of the cook you get a delicious dish!
We hope this inspires you to use those left over pieces of bread that you may have and give it a new purpose instead of throwing them away. We encourage you to get creative in the kitchen. You never know what your tastebuds will discover.
Conclusion
The Spanish migas recipe includes the following ingredients: stale bread, olive oil, garlic, and smoked paprika. This migas recipe is a humble one! To make it more caloric and nutritious, you can add more ingredients like chorizo, picadillo (like minced chorizo), and bacon. These ingredients are added to a frying pan with a touch of sweet paprika to give it a nice taste. Shepherds typically spent several days in the mountains of the region. Therefore, their bread rations would go stale after a few days, and instead of throwing it away, they would create a new dish.
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