Migas means “crumbs” in Spanish. Migas is also the name of at least three dishes I can think of. One is a Mexican soup, one is a traditional Portuguese dish, and the last is a chiliquiles-like Mexican-style plate of scrambled eggs that is most associated with Austin, TX. So when I saw the word migas in the newspaper this morning, I paid attention. Which migas did they mean?
I like the Saturday section of the LA Times for selfish reasons. I love my blog, but it can be a real chore deciding on an editorial direction day after day (after day). Sometimes I need a creative kick in the ass. I’m not bragging, but it’s a small target. So the kick needs to be well-intended. The LA Times has pretty good aim. The migas they meant is the eggs and it’s an “old favorite hangover breakfast” from when columnist Russ Parsons lived in Texas. New Mex Migas.
You see, I’m still savoring my trip to Baja’s wine country. One of the highlights was breakfast at Doña Esthela’s. Which I guess is what you’d call a restaurant, but eating at Doña Esthela’s feels more like eating at Doña Esthela’s house. She serves up big plates of eggs at breakfast. Rancheros, Chiliquiles or even Migas. Call these breakfasts what you like– I’ll just call them muy bueno. Eating in Valle de Guadalupe is everything Mexico should be (to me). But I can’t get there as often as I’d like, so New Mex Migas is something I need to accomplish (in fact master) in a big way.
So do you.
The inspiration for this post comes from Russ Parsons’s Christmas breakfast tradition and (according to him) it “has to follow a certain script”.
I worked in show biz a long time. I can follow a script.
The script I’m following seems to have been written by Russ Parsons’s daughter. Evidently she believes that they always have chilaquiles for Christmas breakfast. Don’t argue with children when it comes to the holidays. My mother always made Creamed Eggs for Easter breakfast from the colossally colored œufs we hid in the yard. So I know where from Parsons’s daughter speaks. These things– these traditions are important. Even if they’re not exactly true.
The trouble with the story is Parsons didn’t really remember Christmas breakfast quite the same way as his daughter. I won’t go into all the details of how a child’s recollection of Christmas chiliquiles became the migas of Parsons’s Texas days, that’s his story. I suggest you read it. But I will say when it comes to holiday traditions I love every one of them. Even other people’s. GREG
I actually awoke with a bit of a hangover today.…wish I had some of this deliciousness to get me through.
This is 100% going to be made at my house this weekend. It just works in every sense. Did you use the salsa verde or roasted chile? I’m thinking a little of both maybe.
I use the roasted chile and a little red salsa (not the chunky kind) at serving. GREG
I had never heard of migas till I saw them on all the menus in Austin. I was more used to chilaquiles but they sound very close.
I love migas. It’s one of those dishes I could eat all day, breakfast, lunch and dinner. This recipe looks awesome.
Chilaquiles/migas is one of those things I could never, ever tire of (especially with lots of green chile). And no, you certainly don’t argue with children about traditions! Memory is such a funny/fascinating thing that way.
This one is new tome — I’ve got to try it. As for traditions — I don’t care if they are one generation old or thousands, I love them. Merry Christmas to you!
Fantastic, I recently posted migas. Great minds 🙂 I feel inspired to create a traditional breakfast starting this year. Hopefully when I’m old and grey my kids will remember it. Usually the first thing out of the kitchen is my coffee!
I never heard of it, but that’s why I follow you. We always have crepes suzettes for Christmas breakfast. I know huh?
This is 100% my kind of breakfast! Lovely, Greg!
Yum! These look fabulous!
It’s been ages since I’ve made this dish. And what I made wasn’t as good as this. Very nice — thanks.
Oh my god. I had 3 Holiday parties last night, so you can imagine how I feel today. I would pay someone to bring me a plate of this right now! I can’t wait to make this. Thanks for sharing!!
My kind of breakfast! (Lunch or dinner, too.)
I’m totally on board with this breakfast! Good friends make amazing Huevos rancheros for Christmas breakfast–love this Migas fix!
I have never tried Migas before. It sounds and also looks delicious. In the recipe, I noticed that tortilla chips is better to be stale! Really? I always get trouble with stale chips and feel wasting to throw out. This recipe sounds like a great rescue and I love to taste it for the first time!
Migas are the most delicious! I usually make mine with fried tortilla strips instead of chips, but now I think I’m going to have to start saving all the broken chips at the end of each bag that goes through our kitchen. Yay!
Ah the great migas versus chilaquiles debate. I always get confused. Either way it’s a plate full of delicious!
When I talk with my brother and sisters about childhood memories it’s like we didn’t even live in the same household! My Christmas morning tradition has always been Southern biscuits and gravy, but since one of us now has a drastic sodium restriction, I’ve gone to a more egg-centric dish. These Migas have me thinkin’ Tex Mex this year 🙂 Merry Christmas, Greg!
I love the kick in the ass part. God, don’t I know! I had to force an episode of Chopped, i.e. shopping in my own pantry and combining random stuff, for my last one. These look great and it’s not easy to photograph beans and/or white/yellow soft comfort food, not for me at least. Always looks like a hodgepodge when I try. Yours is fabulous. I need a hangover so I can have these.…shouldn’t be hard to do. I can work on that tonight!
These look positively perfect Greg! I’ve heard so many good things about that cookbook too. So glad you shared!!