The perfect breakfast or brunch dish, served all over Mexico with cups of steaming coffee and a basket of sweet breads. One of its greatest delights is the contrast in texture between the chewy tortilla bits and the soft creamy eggs, and it is well worth doubling the recipe because left-overs make a delicious, moist filling for a torta, a bread roll, to be enjoyed for lunch the following day, ideally while sitting on a bench in the warm sunshine. Mexicans do not add milk or cream to their scrambled eggs, so the curds are never as soft and smooth as I am used to, but the tomatoes they are cooked with in this case produce a lovely, velvety texture.
For anybody who prefers a plant-based way of eating, I will be publishing a vegan version of Migas soon.
MIGAS
Serves 2
30 ml/2 tbsp olive oil + 5 ml/1 tsp
2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
1 mild green or red chilli, deseeded and finely sliced
1 tsp cumin seeds, coarsely ground in a mortar or spice grinder
200 g/7 oz tomatoes, coarsely chopped
25 g/1 oz butter
4 eggs, beaten
1 x recipe Home-made Tortilla Chips -
2 plain corn tortillas
1 fat spring onion, finely sliced
15 g/1/2 oz fresh coriander, coarsely chopped
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Heat the olive oil in a small frying pan and fry the garlic and chilli for 5 minutes, until just softened. Add the cumin and cook, stirring, for 1 minute, then add the tomatoes. Cook for a further 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, to thicken the mixture. Season and set aside.
While the vegetables are cooking, heat the oven to 180oC/350oF/gas 4/fan oven 160oC. Brush the tortillas on both sides with the 1 tsp of olive oil. Place one on top of the other and, with a sharp knife, slice them into strips about 1 cm/1/2 mm wide. Transfer them to a baking tray lined with baking parchment and use a fork to toss them around a bit so that they do not stick together and curl up a bit. Season with salt and pepper. Bake in the oven until they turn a pale gold and are crisp. Set aside to cool.
Melt the butter in a pan and pour in the eggs. Season and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until the eggs just start to set. Add the tomato sauce and tortilla strips and stir them gently into the eggs. Continue to cook until the mixture is softly scrambled.
Check the seasoning, sprinkle with spring onion and coriander, and serve immediately.
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