Like most rustic peasant foods I highlight on this blog, Migas (pronounced Mee-yas) can be made thousands of different ways. It is basically a Spanish (Portuguese / Mexican) dish that combines leftovers with eggs for a wonderful breakfast. One of the best I have ever had was at the Magnolia Cafe in Austin, Texas.
My version is a weak attempt to capture the bold flavours but is in no way a replacement for the real thing. But since I live 1,400 miles away, it will have to suffice.
INGREDIENTS:
- 4 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 2 tablespoons butter (salted)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 Serrano peppers, seeded and minced
- 1 medium tomato, seeds and pulp removed, diced
- 1/4 cup onion, diced
- 1/2 bell pepper, diced
- 2 corn tortillas, torn into small pieces
- 2 teaspoons fresh cilantro, chopped
- 2/3 cup grated jack cheese, room temperature (but a good cheese and grate it yourself for better results)
PREPARATION:
1. In a small bowl, lightly beat the eggs with the water, chili powder and cumin and set aside.
2. Melt the butter in a heavy skillet. Add the tortilla pieces and saute until softened. Add the onions and bell peppers and saute until onions are translucent. Add the garlic and Serrano’s and cook for a couple more minutes.
3. Pour the egg mixture into the skillet and scramble until eggs are done. Remove skillet from heat sprinkle with the cheese, tomato, and cilantro. Cover with lid for a couple more minutes and allow cheese to melt. Serve immediately with all or some of the following. Warm flour tortillas, salsa, prepared black beans and creama (Mexican cream).
Serves 2 – 3 but you can easily double it.
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Magnolia Cafe is God’s proof to humans that He loves us. Everything there is so good. There’s nothing better than making my way over to Magnolia after a show to fuel up for the drive home. This is definitely one of my favorite Austin culinary landmarks.
Yes I can’t wait to travel back to Austin just to eat there.
I just remembered. They don’t use butter, they use canola so they are vegan friendly.
Sure. They are cut and then pre-steamed. They are really only steamed because it’s the easiest way to cook them in advance in such large batches. After being steamed they mixed with butter and spices. When they need to be cooked, they are tossed onto the flattop grill until browned. (I believe…I tend to get Magnolia and Star Seed’s a little mixed up because the process is so similar and i was at both places for so long.) I will tell you a way to do it at home with similar results.
Chop your red potatoes. Boil them until “al dente”. Do NOT over boil. Strain, set aside and heat a skillet with 1-2 TBS your choice, olive oil or canola. Toss in potatoes. (careful! the water from the potatoes mixed with oil in the pan will create some popping) Sprinkle with salt, pepper, garlic, basil, and oregano.(These are the basic spices I have had to use for HF in 3 different diners.) For a crispier HF, simply replace the boil step with saute (saute the uncooked potatoes in oil and spices)and replace saute step with oven at 450. Hope that helps!
Exmag, do you know how they do the home fries? Basic I am sure but they are amazing.
In case you’re interested in how it is actually done there: The “love” is a serrano butter. The peppers are minced and mixed with butter. 3-4 Tbsp of that in the pan, heated. Toss in diced red onion, green bell, and tomatoes. Sautee. Add already whisked eggs and crumbled tortilla chips. (Yes, they just use chips. The egg softens them to the right texture.) After cooked thoroughly, they are topped with jack cheese. There are many other migas traditions but this is the particular “Love Migas”. Good luck.
Thanks for the info! Serrano butter huh? I will give it another go.
It is better to use whole cumin seeds and grind/crush them up first.
Yes. That makes good sense. I made a breakfast casserole with this recipe as a base for Mothers Day and it was fantastic. I will post a revision soon.
Tried your recipe this morning- good stuff! Definately more flavorful than most egg dishes. I used more cheese- like a full cup. Didn’t grate the cheese but I did buy a quality shredded jack cheese (Tillamook). I didn’t see where to put the bell pepper in, so I just added it at the end with the tomato, cilantro and cheese. I’ll probably keep playing with this one to try to get as close to Magnolia’s as possible! Thanks!
Oops, I add the bell peppers with the onions. I have updated the recipe to reflect so. Think I need to make this again tomorrow, it’s been a while.
Magnolia Cafe does have the best Migas I have ever had! I will try your recipe! Your recipe says to saute the tortilla pieces until softened. I thought Magnolia had crispy tortilla “strips” in their migas?
You might be right. It has been something like nine years since I went there. This is the way I make it home and it turns out pretty good.
Thanks RossAroonie
This looks so good. I love mexican craving.