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Portuguese Cauliflower and Bacon Migas Soaked Bread with Bacon and Cauliflower

Cauliflower Bacon Migas - Soaked Bread with Bacon and Cauliflower

Migas was created as a way to use leftover bread in Portugal and Spain. There are literally 100s of recipes for migas, each with different flavorings and meats. This recipe produces a lighter version of this popular dish.
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Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Portuguese
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 6
Author: My Hungry Traveler

Equipment

  • 4-quart saucepan
  • Microwave
  • Bowl, colander

Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp Refogado (recipe below)
  • Kosher salt and white pepper
  • 1 cup Cauliflower flowerettes (fresh or frozen)
  • Olive oil
  • ½ lb Extra-thick smoked bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 3 cups Day-old country bread, ½-inch cubes and toasted. Large store bought croutons work here
  • 2 cups Vegetable broth
  • 1 Lemon
  • tsp Dried thyme
  • 1 tbsp Cilantro or parsley, chopped

Refogado

  • ½ cup Onion, diced
  • 3 cloves Garlic, chopped
  • 2 tbsp Olive oil
  • 1 pinch Saffron (optional)
  • 1 cup Diced tomatoes, drained
  • tsp Paprika
  • 1 Bay leaf

Instructions

Refogado

  • Heat diced onion and chopped garlic in a saucepan with 2 tbsp olive oil over medium-low heat. About 10 minutes. Add a pinch of saffron (optional) and stir 2 minutes more. Add diced tomatoes, turn heat to medium and cook another 10 minutes until tomatoes begin to turn dry. Stir often. Mix in paprika and bay leaf. Let cool and either use right away or refrigerate in a sealed container.

Make Migas

  • Fill a large bowl with ice and water. Put cauliflower into a plastic freezer bag with ⅛ cup water and seal bag partially. Microwave on high for 3 minutes. Immediately drain and dump into ice water to stop it cooking. When cooled, drain and cut into ½-inch pieces.
  • In a 4 quart saucepan or Dutch Oven, heat a tsp oil and cook bacon over medium heat until its fat has rendered-out and it is lightly browned. With a slotted spoon, transfer bacon to paper towels.
  • Add refogado to the rendered fat and cook, stirring, 2 minutes more. Mix in the bread cubes. Stir in the broth and drizzle with a splash of olive oil. If bread is not fully soaked, add some more stock. Fold in the cauliflower and cook until heated through. Zest lemon over mixture and squeeze in lemon juice.
  • To serve, season with salt and pepper, thyme and cilantro. Serve with cooked bacon crumbled over the top.

Nutrition

Calories: 500kcal | Carbohydrates: 66g | Protein: 18g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 0.05g | Cholesterol: 25mg | Sodium: 1375mg | Potassium: 312mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 279IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 81mg | Iron: 5mg