Murcian gachasmigas, a variant of traditional migas

We could say migas are one of those dishes that mix up many different Spanish traditions. It might not be as extended as the Spanish omelette or the paella, but migas are still an important element of Spanish gastronomy.

They are really popular in the centre and the south of Spain, as well as in Castile and León and Aragón. Migas fall under the category of those dishes that depend on the ingredients one can find in each region. Murcian migas are particularly interesting, considering they are called the same as the gachasmigas from Almería, and both of them are made out of flour and not actual bread crumbs.

Ingredients

300g flour

300g wheat semolina

200g chistorra

200g sausages

200g bacon

2 green peppers

100ml extra virgin olive oil

10 garlic cloves

Salt

Directions

1. Grab a large frying pan and pour the olive oil. Warm up over medium/high heat. Then add the garlic (either peeled or not) and fry them over low heat for at least 20 minutes. They should stay tender, not crispy, to avoid them from embittering the dish. Take them off the pan.
2. Cut the bacon into pieces of reasonable size to cook. Then fry them until they turn brownish. The bacon should not get dry, but crunchy. That is the secret. Set it aside.
3. Add the pieces of sausage and the chistorra and cook them in the frying pan just as the bacon. Their fat should melt a little. Once cook, set them aside with the bacon and garlic.
4. We will use the oil in the frying pan. Add 2 tablespoons of wheat flour. It is time to cook the migas/gachasmigas. Pour the water. We have added a bit of flour before to prevent the oil from splattering as a reaction to the water. Add the rest of the flour and the semolina.
5. Add abundant salt, making sure the gachasmigas are not insipid. Migas should always be nicely seasoned! You can add pepper or hot paprika if you like it spicy. Mix it and cook it for at least 30 minutes until it looks yummy enough.
6. Add the ingredients we have set aside and mix everything together. Fry the green peppers on the side, with abundant oil, and add on top of every dish to decorate.

A dish of Murcian gachasmigas. | Shutterstock