SERVES 3 TO 4
This recipe comes from the village of Checa, high up in the mountains of eastern Guadalajara, where I stayed recently with friends from the village. One morning, with the season’s first snow falling—heavy, pregnant flakes covered the cobblestone streets, public fountain, and terra-cotta roof tiles—we headed into the nearby Parque Natural del Alto Tajo, where we met a shepherd on a narrow gravel road moving his flock of 500 sheep down to a corral in the village. When we finally made it back to the house for lunch, the mother of my friend Jesús, Juana Ortega, had made the same thing that the shepherd had eaten that morning: migas. Migas are, essentially, cubes of bread cooked down to small pellets, and served with any number of garnishes. This recipe is adapted from the one prepared that day in Checa.
1. The night before, slice the bread as thinly as possible and then cut the slices into small pieces. Place them in a large bowl. Dissolve the salt in ½> cup/120 ml tepid water and sprinkle it over the bread, turning and tossing to slightly dampen. Cover with a kitchen cloth and leave overnight.
2. In a very large skillet or deep sauté pan (or wok), heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook until golden and aromatic, about 1 minute. Remove and reserve. Add the salt pork and cook until browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer to a plate. In the same oil, add the onion and green pepper and cook until they begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the pimentón and immediately stir in ¼ cup/60 ml water to keep it from burning. Begin working in the bread, stirring until coated and then adding more.
3. Cook until the migas have formed golden brown pellets, continually stirring to keep them from scorching, 20 to 30 minutes. Toward the end, chop two slices of the cooked salt pork and add along with the reserved garlic.
4. Serve hot with the remaining salt pork. Place the grapes in the middle of the table to eat alongside.