Migas

Over the last few weeks I seem to keep running into a word, Migas.  The odd thing is that it is describing two similar but very different things.  What is common to both is that they are made from stale bread, fried and flavored, but the end result is very different.  In Darina Allen’s 2009 book Forgotten Skills of Cooking she prepares an almond migas to garnish sautéed mackerel.  The almonds and bread crumbs are fried off in olive oil and garlic then tossed with parsley.   John Thorne, on the other hand, in  Mouth Wide Open, prepares a far more substantial migas with the bread cubed larger and fried so the outside is crisp while the inside remains melting.

There were some staled Amoroso wheat rolls in the kitchen so I decided to prepare both recipes.  I started with Allen’s preparation as it reminded me of the garnish Polonaise we made in school.  Polonaise consisted of bread crumbs fried in butter with parsley and minced hard cooked egg.  It’s most frequently seen topping vegetables like asparagus or broccoli.  When we made it with panko the results were underwhelming at best.  With that in mind I was excited to try the migas which seemed to use much larger crumbs. 

I started by putting some of the staled rolls into a bag and then went after them with a meat mallet till the majority of the crumbs were pea-sized.  A mesh strainer let the smallest bits fall away and I was left with only the larger pieces.  Next step required mincing garlic and roughly chopping some almonds.  I left the almonds chunky as well, the whole idea here seemed to be about texture.

I heated olive oil in a large sauté pan to just below smoking.  I didn’t want the bread to sit too long in oil before browning where they would soak in a lot of fat.  The bread went in and began to color.  A short while later I added the garlic and almonds which I feared would burn easily.  As soon as the nuts were golden the whole thing came out to a waiting bowl.  I tossed on Malden salt and a lot of fresh cut parsley before turning it out onto a paper towel to take up any extra oil.

It was salty and crunchy.  The toasted nuts added a richness and the parsley kept the whole thing from being heavy.  It was a big jump forward from the tired, soggy Polonaise that I remembered.  (I’m looking forward to revisiting that recipe now with ‘lessons learned’)  Tonight we would have the migas served over steamed green beans, but Karen wouldn’t be home for a few hours yet.  I fried off an egg and topped it with the Migas.  What a treat it added the bite and crunch to make the egg substantial and enough pep to overcome the rich yolk.

In doing some research on this article I came across an Italian preparation called Panne Gatata.  It was identical to the migas I just described.   It was even used in similar ways, to add a texture contrast or to introduce some salt/flavor contrast.  It was shown over risotto, noodles, and grilled fish which are all dishes which benefit from the addition of a little something toothsome.  It was also shown over a grilled quail in a salad, in that preparation I should think it’s intended purpose was to add flavor. 

Now John Thorne’s preparation took more time and was a bit more involved.  It started by liberally sprinkling salted water over the ¾” cubes of stale bread then wrapping them in a wet towel to sit for half a day.  They come out still very dry, not at all like a panada or a stuffing but more like fresh bread.  Into olive oil over  a moderate heat I sweated off minced red pepper, some spicy frying peppers, and onion till soft and the onion took on some color.  Then the heat went up and the bread and garlic went in.  As the outside of the bread turned golden I started to sprinkle on smoked paprika and a little cayenne, a little with each toss.  When all the bread was crisp it came off the heat for a handful of parsley and a pinch more salt (remember the bread was already salted).

This was substantial.  It was already meal-like without and meat or eggs.  The bread offered up a nice bite then yielded to a warm moist center.  It was almost like Thanksgiving stuffing was made bite sized and wrapped in a crispy shell.  Well, that would be true if you BBQ your turkey at least because the peppers and the smoked paprika gave everything sweetness and depth.  It had the flavors of great BBQ sauces; sweet, spicy, salty and a little fruity from the bell pepper.

Tonight I served the migas under eggs.  It worked well, the yolks adding some extra richness to the dish.  This is how Mr. Thorne recommends serving the dish.  Though I’ll easily admit, I’m looking forward to spring and summer when I can get out the smoker and serve this under some smoked chicken or grilled sausage.  With a little more chili for heat and maybe some scallions it would be great soaking up the fat from a beef brisket, slow cooked over charcoal.

Two very different dishes were added to my bag of tricks today.  One,  from John Thorne,  is an interesting new starch to break up the potato/rice monotony.  The other, from Darina Allen, adds a textural counter point to otherwise bland consistencies.  I can see it over mashed potato or risotto adding a little bite but it would also be amusing on grilled seafood or vegetables. 

Happy Cooking