Migas Spanish-Style

This is yet another recipe to do with day-old bread. The first time I visited my boyfriend's family in Extremadura, Spain, I was introduced to the deliciousness of Migas. It is a traditional dish of that region, and also shows up in different variations all across Spain. I remember eating it for the first time at an awesome café in Badajoz called El Venero. Venero doesn't mean anything, but to everyone who has been there, it means incredible breakfasting! I promise you that you have never had real orange juice until you have had zumo de naranja in Spain....I don't care if you have seen a Florida orange squeezed to death into a glass, it just isn't the same. Sunshine in a glass. Also, instead of coffee many Spaniards indulge in a Cola Cao, or hot chocolate (best hot chocolate I've ever had come from a powder). The Handsome Spaniard makes a special rendition of Migas by dipping it in his Cola Cao--I could never get over the mixture of garlic and chocolate, but he swears by it. Yeah, we all have our own tastes I guess.

Anyways, the second time I had migas was homemade by his mother. It is a really difficult dish to master, and I'm well on my way, but I had some good instruction while I was there. I guess what makes it difficult is preparing the hard bread by sprinkling water on it and letting it sit overnight until you're ready to make it. You could probably let it sit for just a couple of hours and you would get a good result as well, however this is the technique I learned in good ol' Badajoz, so that's what I'm sticking with. I had the Handsome Spaniard give me a refresher course on preparation so that I didn't leave anything out. Sometimes when you learn recipes in another language, some important details are left out...haha, imagine that!

Migas are so fluffy and so wonderful as breakfast or an afternoon snack (Merienda). They are robust and filling even though they only have three ingredients. That is my favorite part of traditional Spanish food, they can pack so much flavor into very little complication, most of which has to do with the powerhouse that is their olive oil. So. Much. Flavor!!! I remember going to olive oil tastings and seriously just sipping the olive oil out of little cups like tasting fine wine. Honestly, they had more flavor and complexity than many wines I have tried--so gorgeous they don't even need to be bothered with the pieces of bread they have set out. I went to a similar olive oil tasting at the farmer's market today, and it just wasn't the same, so I went sulking away until I found a delicious booth with candy onions and beautiful zucchini five seconds later (it doesn't take much to cheer me up at a farmer's market!).

If you happen to have some staled bread, or bread you just need to get rid of, cube it up and dry it out first (in the oven if you're pressed on time). I actually used some of the bread from the french bread recipe that I made last week! Great choice. So pick your favorite bread, prepare it and then you can go to work on these Migas!

Traditional Migas (Extremadura-style)

Hard cubed bread 

(I'd say a loaf would make a good batch, more if you want it to last the week)

Olive oil

Salt (optional)

Garlic (3-4 cloves will do), smashed with skin-on or roughly sliced

Water

The first thing you need to do is choose a pan to cook the migas in. It should be a deep pan with enough room to stir around the bread cubes without them flying out everywhere--I know, it gets a little exciting. Transfer all of your bread into a large bowl and set up a little rice bowl next to you filled with about a cup of water. Dip your hand in the bowl and then sprinkle water all over the bread, as evenly as possible. You should flip around the bread every so often to make sure that the bottom bread cubes are also getting their share. They definitely shouldn't be soaking wet and soggy, that's why you do the sprinkling action, but they should be notably moistened. When you have reached that point, cover them with plastic wrap or a lid and let them sit for 3-4 hours or overnight. I'm just guessing on the 3-4 hours, but I imagine that the bread would soak in all the moisture by then.

Now it is time for the fun! Turn on the heat to medium-high. Pick a really good olive oil, your favorite, and pour a few tablespoons in the pan--I just poured enough olive oil to make the shape of a normal-sized pancake and waited until the oil was hot enough to shimmer. Then, you distribute the bread evenly in the pan and keep them moving with a wooden spoon so they are all fairly covered in olive oil. Add the garlic and turn the heat down to medium-low. 

You should keep moving the bread and mashing it down with the spoon to make a "polvo" which means dust in English--so you want little crumbs out of your cubes. I like a mixture of cubes and polvo, but you can turn it all to dust if you feel like it. The crumbs and smaller pieces make the migas even more fluffy, so the more polvo, the fluffier it will be. You should keep stirring and mashing for about 20-30 minutes. It takes patience, but is totally worth it.

The end result should be golden Migas that are fluffy and full of deliciousness. Because it is just bread and garlic, you need to add some fruit, protein, or vegetables to balance the meal, or you can just eat them on your own if you are into that--like most people do with Rice Krispies. You can crumble up some bacon and throw it in there, have it as a side with eggs, eat it like you would oatmeal, and you can save it for the whole week (it won't last that long), just remember to put a lid on it. If you happen to have Cola Cao it makes a nice accompaniment, but hot chocolate of any sort, orange juice, coffee, and tea also work well. Start the day of Spanish-style!

YUM!

¡Que aproveches!

Happy cumpleaños! TORTILLA DE PATATA Celebration!

Today is the Handsome Spaniard's birthday and we celebrated it with a very early breakfast and a big lunch just now. I love birthdays, I think they are so much fun, and for a single day out of the year, someone can feel really loved/appreciated/special/insert necessary adjective. So, I decorated the house, wrapped some presents, and went to town on some of his Spanish favorites. In light of that, perhaps the only Louisville reference will be to De La Torres, the Spanish restaurant on Bardstown Rd. and one of the only Spanish restaurants in the region. They have great tapas and actual sangria. 

However, I promise you will learn a traditional recipe that you can keep in your culinary repertoire for whenever! I made what they call here a "Tortilla de Patata". Anyone who has been in Spain for more than 24 hours knows what a Tortilla de Patata is. It is a staple of the diet here, and consists of onions, potatoes, eggs, olive oil, and salt. We're going for simplicity here people. It isn't anything like the tortilla us Americans are used to (the Latin American export), but is more like a fat omelet that you flip 180º! That's a spectacle, so get ready for some acrobatics.

Later we will cover the simple dessert that I came up with out of the fruit bowl and cupboard. Chocolate covered pears. They really are amazingly delicious and they are fun to eat! Let's get going...

Tortilla de Patata (Spanish potato omelet)

6-8 small potatoes

4-5 eggs depending on the size

1/4-1/2 onion, also depending on the size

a ton of olive oil

salt

To start the tortilla de patata, you must do some prep work. One of my favorite scenes in a typical Spanish home is a table full of people peeling potatoes and slicing them into uniform, relatively-thin disks. So, make your home a little Spanish for the afternoon or evening and you won't be sorry. 

First you need to peel all of those potatoes. If you're handy with the knife you can slice those babies up while the onion is transferring its amazing flavor to the oil--if not, then you should prep the potatoes completely (directions following). While you're heating about 2-inches of oil over med-high heat, mince that onion...you don't want a ton of onion, but you want enough to distribute well in the oil. The olive oil will take on the sweetness of the onion, and that's what we need to get that traditional flavor for the tortilla. The onions should not be browning, but waltzing around in the glorious oil, so watch the heat!

Now for the potatoes. Cut them in about 1/8-inch slices if you can manage it (between 1/8 and 1/4 inch is acceptable). Depending on whom you ask, you can cut them super thin or you can be a bit lax--everyone has their own way to prepare a tortilla de patata....and they'll let you know, trust me. When the oil has been hanging out with the onion enough to merge flavors, add the potatoes and slow-poach them in the oil. You DO NOT want the potatoes to get brown either, so let these percolate over medium heat...stir and keep and eye on them, okay? This will take the longest out of all the steps, maybe 20 minutes, maybe more--just until they are soft.

Okay, it's time to get a little tricky. You have to muster up some courage for this part (but not nearly as much for the last part). As my mom told me when I first started cooking, don't be afraid of the hot oil or else you won't be frying anything...I don't know if it is physically safe advice, but confidence is your best friend in the kitchen--and if you end up burning yourself, that's why you have an aloe vera plant at hand...right? Take the pan off the stove and strain the potato and onions from the olive oil (we save this oil for frying potatoes or making more tortillas later on...you can use this oil a couple more times because it wasn't violently fried and messy).

As the potatoes are straining precariously over a container in the sink (that might just be my contraptions...call me Mcgyver), you can beat the hell out of those eggs. I'm serious. Get a whisk, and go crazy on those eggs until they are homogenous and a few bubbles veil the top. Add a little salt to the egg mixture. Then, take the potato mixture and add it to the eggs. You can then mix this up into the happiness that is your tortilla batter. Return the pan to the stove on medium heat with enough olive oil to keep the batter from sticking (usually the oil that you didn't pour off with the potatoes is enough).

Stay brave my friends, this is the part where things get a little precarious--but it is fun after your first time! It really helps to have about 7-8 Spanish friends cheering you on...but friends of whatever nationality will do. Hah! Take a plate, or if you happen to have a tortilla de patata flipper (yes, they are on the market), or other rimless flat-bottomed lid that will work. Make sure that the egg mixture isn't sticking (spatula or pan-shimmying works) and then set your lid on top of the pan. To minimize spillage, make sure the plate is larger than the pan and doesn't just fit inside--don't be a hero. Okay, now that you have the top securely in place, hold it tightly on top with your left hand, right hand on the handle (reverse obviously if you're stronger on the left side), envision its successful 180º flip, and then MAKE IT HAPPEN! Flip the omelet onto the plate in your right hand-holding it waiter-style (don't let it fall on the floor) and shimmy it back into the pan so the other side can cook. Physics has a phenomenon called centripetal force--if the movement you make is complete, the tortilla flip will be a success; if you hesitate and get scared, you will be covered in a warm egg, potato, and onion mixture. I guess there could be worse things...

I think the fact that you invested all that time in beating the eggs and peeling and cutting all those potatoes is enough to make your body and mind work together to make this a smooth transition. If you're weak in the upper body dept, get someone stronger to help you out--make them feel like they're useful since you're dominating the kitchen. If you have some left over egg and potatoes that didn't make it into the pan on the smooth slide that was your first attempt (fingers-crossed), you can just spread it on top and then you do the flip-trick once again. Don't worry, you'll be a pro in no time. If it failed and you made an epic mess, cut up some bread and eat it off of the counter, just make sure your kitchen is clean. No pasa nada. No worries!

Now you can cut it in triangles, pizza-style, or in cubes and eat them with toothpicks...great party appetizer. Also good for dinner, lunch, cold for breakfast, etc. The tortilla de patata can sit out on the counter if you have leftovers and it will be delicious the next day (I have never had one last that long, but cold tortilla is great). Now enjoy that rich egg with the silky potatoes and sweet olive oil flavor. Bienvenidos a España//Welcome to Spain.

Finally a little quickie for dessert. You have to eat your fruit now...why not smothered in chocolate?

Chocolate Covered Pears
2 pears, washed, skin-on
1 Chocolate bar, 70% dark chocolate is what I had

Take a teaspoon and scoop out the core from the bottom. Then you can cut the bottom a little so that the pear stands flat on its own.

Heat the chocolate over super low heat if you don't have a double boiler, like me. If you do, melt the chocolate over a double boiler (bain marie//baño maría). If you have enough chocolate, you can just dip the pears inside the chocolate. If you aren't so wasteful and just used what you needed, then you can teaspoon it on, and I think that is a nicer presentation--you can make layers and pretty ripples, etc. I used a coffee spoon, so it was the same contour as the pear, which was cool. Whatever leftover chocolate you have, that you aren't licking out of the bowl, you can use as an edible decoration! Let it set in the fridge for about 10-15 minutes. Eat with a spoon. It is so much fun!

Now I'm off to go plan some more events for the Handsome Spaniard's birthday!

¡Que aproveches amigo!

Listening to Kyle Meredith on WFPK Radio Louisville.