Recipe Manuscript

Otra Salsa Para Gallinas

Name: Otra Salsa Para Gallinas
Prep time: PTPT25M
Cook time: PTPT30M
Yield: 6
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 18 medium tomatoes (~1.5 kg); 1 generous handful fresh parsley, finely chopped (~20 g); 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced; 3 medium tomatoes for roasting (~250 g); 2 small ladyfingers, sponge cakes, or substitute 40 g dry bread; 2 tablespoons (30 g) unsalted butter or substitute for lard; 500 ml chicken stock; 1 pinch ground clove; 1 piece (2.5 cm) cinnamon stick or 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon; 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper; 2 tablespoons (30 ml) white vinegar; 2 tablespoons (30 ml) dry white wine; 10 g sugar (about 2 teaspoons); 2 tablespoons (20 g) toasted sesame seeds

"Another Sauce For Hens"

1901

From the treasured pages of Mexican Cooking Manuscripts B. Patoni

Unknown Author

Early Modern Kitchen (1900 - 1930)American Intermediate Dinner Lunch

Original Recipe • 1901

Original Manuscript(circa Early Modern Kitchen, 1900 - 1930)

As inscribed by the original author's hand, transcribed with care by Lost Kitchen Scrolls

Otra Salsa Para Gallinas

"Se toma docena y media de tomates un puñado de peregil menudo y cuatro dientes de ajo rebanados a lo largo. Se asan tres jitomates y se se muelen, se parten dos bizcochos tostados en la manteca q' queden de color de canela, y se le hecha todo el recaudo dicho ya que está frito se le hecha el jitomate molido y ya que esté todo bien frito se hecha el caldo de la gallina, clavo, canela, pimienta, vinagre, un poco de vino blanco y un pedazo de azucar, así que se valla a llevar a la mesa, se le hecha ajonjolí tostado."

English Translation

"Take one and a half dozen tomatoes, a handful of finely chopped parsley, and four garlic cloves sliced lengthwise. Roast three tomatoes and mash them, break two biscuits toasted in lard until they are cinnamon-colored, and add all the previously mentioned ingredients; once they are fried, add the mashed tomatoes, and once everything is well fried, add the hen broth, cloves, cinnamon, pepper, vinegar, a little white wine, and a piece of sugar. Right before serving, add toasted sesame seeds."

Note on the Original Text

The recipe is written in a conversation-driven, practical style, with shorthand instructions typical of early 20th-century manuscripts. Spelling is often creative—such as 'gallinas' for hens/chickens, or 'ajonjolí' for sesame—and quantities are given in handfuls, pinches, and references to local units like 'bizcocho.' Rather than strict measurements, the cook is expected to use intuition, adapting the recipe based on experience and what's available. Such methods reflect a time before modern standardization, and encourage a playful, flexible approach to cooking.

Modern Kitchen Interpretation

Recipe's Origin

Mexican Cooking Manuscripts B. Patoni - Click to view recipe in book

Title

Mexican Cooking Manuscripts B. Patoni (1901)

You can also click the book image above to peruse the original tome

Writer

Unknown

Era

1901

Publisher

Unknown

Background

A delightful scramble of handwritten Mexican recipes from the early 1900s, this collection unveils old-world treasures like albóndigas reales, frituras, and fricasé. Alongside these traditional gems, a folded, blue-inked page introduces the reader to American-inspired treats such as 'bisquits' and 'galletas rápidas'. Perfect for culinary explorers with a taste for history and a dash of adventure.

Kindly made available by

University of Texas at San Antonio

Historical Background of the Recipe

Learn about old traditions

This recipe comes from a handwritten Mexican cooking manuscript dated 1901, a fascinating time when culinary traditions were in flux. The early 20th century was a period when Mexico saw a blending of old indigenous ingredients with European techniques, creating a truly unique cuisine. Recipes like this one for a rich chicken sauce show how cooks creatively combined native tomatoes and sesame with Old World wine and spices. The manuscript's informal and practical style reflects domestic life at the time, capturing the voice of home cooks who favored adaptability and frugality, often using what was on hand. Such recipes were passed hand to hand, adapted for each family table, and rarely standardized.

Culinary Tools when the Recipe was Crafted

Tools and techniques from kitchens of old

Back in 1901, this recipe would have been prepared using simple, sturdy kitchen tools: a heavy clay or cast-iron comal (griddle) for roasting tomatoes, a molcajete (stone mortar and pestle) for grinding roasted ingredients, a sharp knife for slicing garlic, and a cazuela (earthenware pot) or heavy pan for simmering the sauce. Open fires or wood-burning stoves provided the heat, while bread and cakes for thickening would have been leftover from previous meals, toasted in hot fat. Sesame seeds would be quickly browned in a dry skillet or over embers.

Modern Kitchen Adaptation

Ingredients and techniques for today's cooks

ounces, cups, Fahrenheit

Prep Time

25 mins

Cook Time

30 mins

Servings

We've done our best to adapt this historical recipe for modern kitchens, but some details may still need refinement. We warmly welcome feedback from fellow cooks and culinary historians — your insights support the entire community!

Ingredients

18 medium tomatoes (~3.3 lb)
1 generous handful fresh parsley, finely chopped (~0.7 oz)
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
3 medium tomatoes for roasting (~9 oz)
2 small ladyfingers, sponge cakes, or substitute 1.4 oz dry bread
2 tablespoons (1 oz) unsalted butter or substitute for lard
2 cups (17 fl oz) chicken stock
1 pinch ground clove
1 piece (1 inch) cinnamon stick or 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 tablespoons (1 fl oz) white vinegar
2 tablespoons (1 fl oz) dry white wine
0.35 oz sugar (about 2 teaspoons)
2 tablespoons (0.7 oz) toasted sesame seeds

Instructions

Begin by preparing around 18 medium tomatoes (about 3.3 lb), and chop a generous handful (about 0.7 oz) of fresh parsley finely.
Thinly slice 4 garlic cloves.
Roast 3 additional tomatoes (~9 oz), then mash or puree them.
Toast 2 small dry sponge cakes or ladyfingers (approx.
1.4 oz total) in 2 tablespoons (1 oz) unsalted butter until they are a deep golden brown, the color of cinnamon.
In a large pan, sauté the garlic and parsley until aromatic, using the butter from the toast.
Add in the roasted, mashed tomatoes and continue frying until the mixture is richly colored and fragrant.
Add 2 cups (17 fl oz) hot chicken stock, a pinch of ground clove, a 1-inch piece of cinnamon stick, 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper, 2 tablespoons (1 fl oz) white vinegar, 2 tablespoons (1 fl oz) dry white wine, and a small piece (about 0.35 oz) of sugar.
Let simmer to meld the flavors.
Just before serving, sprinkle with 2 tablespoons (0.7 oz) of toasted sesame seeds.
Serve warm over poached or roasted chicken.

Estimated Calories

180 per serving

Cooking Estimates

It takes about 25 minutes to prepare all the ingredients, including chopping, roasting, and toasting. Cooking everything together takes around 30 minutes. Each serving has about 180 calories, and this recipe makes 6 servings.

As noted above, we have made our best effort to translate and adapt this historical recipe for modern kitchens, taking into account ingredients nowadays, cooking techniques, measurements, and so on. However, historical recipes often contain assumptions that require interpretation.

We'd love for anyone to help improve these adaptations. Community contributions are highly welcome. If you have suggestions, corrections, or cooking tips based on your experience with this recipe, please share them below.