Migas

Migas

Migas are a fantastic way to spice up your Sunday morning scrambled egg breakfast.  What could be better than the contrast in textures between perfectly cooked eggs and crunchy tortilla strips or the bright, fresh flavors of vine ripened tomatoes, crisp onion, and jalapeño for a little kick.  Get ready, because your breakfast just went south of the border.

Ingredients:

4 Eggs

3 tablespoons Water

3/4 teaspoon Salt

1/4 teaspoon Pepper

1/2 teaspoon Cumin powder

1/2 tablespoon Butter

1/4 cup Tomato, diced

2 tablespoons Onion, minced

1/2 Jalapeño, minced and seeded

2 tablespoons Cilantro, chopped

1/2 cup Monterey Jack Cheese, shredded

1/2 cup Tortilla Strips, fried (you will need 1/2 cup of vegetable oil to fry 2 corn tortillas)

Migas require all prep work to be done ahead of time because good scrambled eggs will not take more than a couple of minutes to cook and they will get overdone in a few seconds.

Tortilla Strips

First of all you will need to prepare the tortilla strips.  Heat 1/2 cup of vegetable oil over medium to medium-high heat in a saute pan.  While the oil is heating, juilenne 2 corn tortillas by halving the tortillas, stacking them on top of one another, halving them again (essentially quartering them) and then slicing thin strips.  Test the oil by sacrificing one of your tortilla pieces.  If the oil is the right temperature it will bubble around the piece pretty quickly, but won’t immediately change the color on the tortilla.  Fry the strips in batches (about 2 – 3 minutes each batch) and then drain on paper towels. Make sure to lightly salt the tortilla strips when they are fresh out of the oil.

Secondly, prepare your vegetables.

The last step of preparation is to quickly whisk together your eggs, water, salt, pepper, and cumin.

Place a medium skilled (either non-stick or very well seasoned) over medium heat.  Allow the pan to heat for a couple of minutes and melt your butter.  Add your egg mixture and allow it to set for about 30 seconds.  Using a spatula, begin pushing the eggs toward the center from the edges, allowing the uncooked egg to make contact with the pan.  Do this in a methodical way rather than hurried.  When the eggs are almost completely cooked (about 75%) add your onions, jalapeño, tomato, cilantro, tortilla strips, and cheese to the pan and gently fold into the eggs.  The moment the eggs are finished cooking (they should still be moist, but not raw), transfer the migas to a plate.  Garnish with a little more cilantro, grab a Bloody Mary and enjoy your meal.

Tips and Tricks:

Migas are particularly easy to make if you happen to have left over shredded cheese and fried tortilla strips from making Tortilla Soup the night before.

If you need to eat on the run, skip the fried tortilla strips and instead heat two flour tortillas in a 325°F oven while you scramble the eggs, cheese, and vegetables.  Then wrap your migas in the tortillas and you have a breakfast taco that can be prepared in about 10 minutes.

If you would like a little more spice, add 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper to your egg mixture.  If you like a smokey flavor add 1/4 teaspoon chipotle powder.

If you happen to have some fresh pico de gallo in the house you can substitute that for the tomatoes, onions, and jalapeños.  Just be sure to drain excess liquid from the salsa before you add it to the pan or your eggs will turn red and be a little mushy.

Serves 2 people, but easily adapts up or down.