Crab tacos, for breakfast.

Migas are a classic northern Mexico breakfast, and therefore a staple of south and central Texas, too, where they’re an indelible part of the breakfast taco canon. Essentially eggs scrambled with crispy tortilla chips and the trifecta of onion, tomato and chile, they are ripe for improvisation. My favorite, by far, is the rich addition of some freshly picked blue crab meat, making for an outstanding breakfast while fishing and crabbing on the coast. This dish comes together very quickly and is substantial.

You can, of course, serve the migas with corn tortillas, but I really like to have the alternating quality of a nice flour tortilla as a contrast to the crisp corn tortillas with the eggs and crab. Serve a lively, bright salsa like a salsa roja or verde or a creamy, lime-forward avocado salsa laced with herbs. 

Serves 4

2 ounces butter

1 small onion, diced

1 poblano, Anaheim or other mildly spicy pepper, diced

1 jalapeño or serrano pepper, finely diced

6 eggs, beaten

1 cup grated cheddar, jack or asadero cheese

2 cups tortilla chips or tostadas, broken into large pieces, or diced corn tortillas that have been fried

1 1/2 cups picked crab meat

½ cup chopped cilantro

½ cup diced tomatoes or small tomatoes, halved (optional)

Salt and lots of black pepper

8-12 flour tortillas, lightly toasted

Salsa roja

Salsa verde

In a large saute pan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onion and pepper, jalapeño and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 4 minutes; you want them cooked, but not super-soft. Add the eggs and cheese and season with salt and pepper. Stir the eggs slowly. Once the eggs are halfway set, add the tortilla chips, crab meat, cilantro and optional tomatoes and continue to stir, incorporating everything together. Check seasoning. Serve immediately with tortillas and salsas or Avocado and Mint Salsa (The Hog Book, page 234).