Recipe Manuscript

Tortas De Vacalado

Name: Tortas De Vacalado
Prep time: PTPT30M
Cook time: PTPT30M
Yield: 4
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 300 g salted cod (bacalao), soaked and poached; 1 medium onion, finely chopped (~100 g); 1 small bunch parsley, finely chopped (~20 g); 50 g plain wheat flour; 100 ml water (add more if needed for batter consistency); Salt, to taste; 500 ml lard or neutral frying oil (for frying)

"Cod Fritters"

1901

From the treasured pages of Mexican Cooking Manuscripts B. Patoni

Unknown Author

Early Modern Kitchen (1900 - 1930)American Beginner Snack Lunch Other

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

Tortas De Vacalado

"Cosido el vacalado y bien picado muy menudito, se frie peregil menudito, cebolla menudita, se le hecha al vacalado arina, aqua, sal si necesita, se va batiendo el vatido pa' que quede regular de espeso, esto se va cojiendo con una cuchara de regular y se va hechando en manteca muy caliente se van aplastando con la misma cuchara a que queden delgaditas y muy doraditas. estas sirven para el reboltijo y para frituras."

English Translation

"Once the cod is cooked and finely chopped, finely chop some parsley and onion and fry them. Add flour, water, and salt if needed to the cod, and beat the mixture so that it has a regular thickness. Take spoonfuls of the mixture and drop them into very hot fat, flattening them with the spoon so that they are thin and very golden. These are used for 'reboltijo' and for fritters."

Note on the Original Text

The original recipe is direct, conversational, and a bit elliptical—common in household manuscripts of the era, which assume the reader has basic kitchen skills. Ingredients, amounts, and instructions are given approximately and depend on the cook's judgment for consistency ('batiendo el vatido pa' que quede regular de espeso'). Expect spelling reforms and relaxed grammar—'vacalado' for 'bacalao', 'arina' for 'harina', etc.—reflecting the author's regional background and the period's informal orthography. The lack of precise measurements speaks to the oral roots of Mexican home cookery, where rules are flexible and taste reigns supreme.

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 an early 20th-century Mexican manuscript—a fascinating window into domestic kitchens at the time. The collection features a wide variety of handwritten recipes that weave together regional and European influences, reflecting Mexico's evolving culinary identity post-colonization and into the Porfiriato. Recipes like 'Tortas de vacalado' (salt cod fritters) were commonly prepared around religious festivals like Lent, when fish replaced meat, and also graced tables during everyday meals or feasts. These manuscripts documented the oral traditions and popular cooking methods of the period, preserving techniques still alive in Mexican kitchens today.

Culinary Tools when the Recipe was Crafted

Tools and techniques from kitchens of old

At the turn of the 20th century, cooks would have prepared this recipe over a wood or charcoal stove using sturdy clay or cast-iron pots. Fish would be poached in a clay cazuela or simple metal pot, with vegetables and herbs chopped by hand on wooden boards with sharp knives. The batter would be mixed in glazed terracotta bowls, while the fritters would be fried in a deep, heavy pan or comal filled with rendered pork lard, using large spoons for both forming and flattening the fritters in the hot fat.

Modern Kitchen Adaptation

Ingredients and techniques for today's cooks

ounces, cups, Fahrenheit

Prep Time

30 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

10.5 oz salted cod (bacalao), soaked and poached
1 medium onion, finely chopped (~3.5 oz)
1 small bunch parsley, finely chopped (~0.7 oz)
1.75 oz plain wheat flour
3.5 fl oz water (add more if needed for batter consistency)
Salt, to taste
2 cups lard or neutral frying oil (for frying)

Instructions

Begin by poaching about 10.5 ounces of salted cod (bacalao) in enough water to cover until it flakes easily, then finely chop it.
Finely chop a small bunch of fresh parsley and one medium onion.
Lightly fry the parsley and onion in a pan with about 2 tablespoons of oil until softened and fragrant.
Add the chopped bacalao.
Stir in about 1.75 ounces of plain wheat flour and pour in roughly 3.5 fluid ounces of water, mixing until you achieve a thick but pourable batter (add a pinch of salt if needed, but be mindful of the salt from the bacalao).
Beat the mixture well to an even consistency.
In a deep pan, heat about 2 cups of lard or neutral oil until very hot.
Use a spoon to drop portions of the batter into the hot fat, flattening each gently with the back of the spoon to form thinnish, round fritters.
Fry until golden and crisp on both sides.
Drain and serve hot as part of a 'revoltijo' (a mixed platter) or as stand-alone fritters.

Estimated Calories

280 per serving

Cooking Estimates

Preparing and frying these cod fritters usually takes about an hour in total. Each fritter serves as a small snack or appetizer portion, and the whole recipe makes about 10 pieces, enough for 4 servings. Each serving contains about 280 calories, making them a savory treat to enjoy hot.

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.