Migas

Migas, in Spain and Portugal at least is a popular meal that uses up left over bread. The name comes from the Spanish word for crumbs. Originally it was eaten as a breakfast dish. Indeed, Cervantes makes reference to it through Sancho Panza in Don Quixote Part II Chapter LIX.

Sancho Panza

“I’ll be hanged, gentlemen, if the author of this book you have in your hands wants us to make good migas together! I’d wish that, since he calls me a glutton—as you say—he wouldn’t also call me a drunkard.”

Here it is an idiom of the time for "getting on together" or being "good friends" reflecting the fact that migas would have been eaten from a communal dish. Cervantes is voicing Sancho's vocal disapproval of his creator in a way that is typical of the genius that he is. One of the subliminal influences on The Collector of Tales.

Migas is now included as lunch , as tapas or as an evening meal. The following recipe is very much my take on the migas manchegas and includes bacon ( in this case actually it is jamon serrano and chorizo). This is not a New World migas.

Ingredients

• 300g stale bread

• 300g chorizo

• 50g jamon serrano thinly sliced and diced

• 1 large red onion

• 1 large red pepper

• Some green olives

• Olive oil

• 1 large salt-preserved lemon

• 4 cloves garlic

• Some dried oregano

• Greek yoghurt

• Smoked paprika

Method

Break up the stale bread in to bite-size chunks and set aside.

Chop up the salted lemon into small pieces, keeping some of the juice. NOTE: These are salty beasts so only add the juice if you think the dish is not salty enough for your tastes. DO NOT ADD ANY ADDITIONAL SALT TO THIS DISH as it will make it unpalatable.

Chop the red onion roughly (i.e not fine diced but chopped with attitude). In a large pan ( we use the base of a metal tagine), add a good portion of oil and heat until , well. hot I suppose. Add the onion and stir to prevent sticking or burning. Turn down the heat (or move it to the cooler plate on the Aga) and allow to cook for about 5 minutes.

Peel, crush and chop the garlic and also slice the chorizo into rounds.

Add both meats and garlic to the pan and stir in with the onions and cook for a further 5 minutes or so.

Add the chunks of stale bread and olives and a good pinch of dried oregano and mix in well, adding more olive oil as you see fit - this is a dish rich in olive oil!

Keep over a low heat for a further 10 minutes, checking occasionally to make sure that it is not sticking.

Meanwhile chop up the pepper into whatever size pieces you prefer and then add to the pan with the olives and salted lemon. Cover and put in oven for a further 10 to 20 minutes.

Serve with some Greek yoghurt and a sprinkling of smoked paprika. Perhaps a little lollo rosso.

Observations

There is a real risk of over salting this dish. Jamon and salted lemons and olives all hold a lot of salt so don't even think about adding any extra and go carefully with the quantities of preserved lemons.

The other main variables are the amount of chorizo you want to include; the degree of staleness of the bread which can vary cooking time; and, the amount of olive oil you are happy to add to the meal.