SAN ANTONIO — Migas, the hearty, flavorful Mexican dish often eaten for breakfast or brunch, has a Spanish heritage — but an identity all its own.
The word "migas" means bits or crumbs. Falling solidly into comfort-food territory, the dish starts with slices or bits of corn tortillas, fried, softened and lightly crisped. Then, beaten eggs are poured into the same skillet. It's slowly cooked and stirred until it forms a soft, delicious scramble.
Obviously, this description is of migas at its most basic. The list of possible additions is long, from minced jalapeño and onion to shredded cheese, diced avocado and tomato.
Migas also make a great brunch dish. The main goal is to keep some of the crispness in the bits of tortilla. Also, some cooks make migas with tortilla chips, added when the eggs have partially cooked so that they stay crisp.
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Then, add ingredients such as these (just make sure the simple integrity of tortilla and egg shines through by not overloading with extras):
Cheese — Stir in a little longhorn, Cheddar or cotija just before the eggs have set, cover the pan to let it melt.
Sautéed vegetables — Diced onion, green chiles such as poblano, jalapeño or serrano (these are hot, so take out seeds if you don't want it fiery), diced tomato, red bell pepper, a little minced garlic.
Meat — Some Spanish migas call for slices of chorizo from the solid links, but Mexican chorizo that's cooked, well-drained of grease and added sparingly is a delicious variation.
Minced cilantro — Add this herb toward the end of cooking to preserve the bright-green color and flavor.
Beans — While a side dish of satiny refried beans is perfect with migas, you can also stir a few black beans or pinto beans into the mix.
Crema — This glossy Mexican cream comes in both sweet cream and sour cream versions. Or, just use a little sour cream.
And don't forget salsa or diced fresh avocado.