Recipe Manuscript

Guarnición) Mayonesa De Verduras Moldeado En Forma De Cubiletes

Name: Guarnición) Mayonesa De Verduras Moldeado En Forma De Cubiletes
Prep time: PTPT45M
Cook time: PTPT40M
Yield: 8
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 2 medium beetroots (about 300g), cooked and peeled; 2 medium tomatoes (about 200g total); 6 small radishes (about 50g); 2 egg yolks; 125 ml neutral oil (sunflower or light olive oil); Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste; 1 tablespoon wine vinegar (about 15 ml); 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard; 5 sheets leaf gelatin (about 8g) or substitute 1 packet powdered gelatin (7g); 3 tablespoons warm aspic (about 45 ml; can substitute chicken or vegetable stock, cooled and gelled); 150g mixed cooked vegetables (carrot, turnip, green peas, green beans), finely diced; Sliced cooked tongue (200–300g, or substitute turkey or chicken breast for modern palates); 1 cooked chicken breast (about 120g); 250 ml heavy cream; Additional mustard, salt, and pepper to taste; Extra aspic (about 50g), chopped; 1 small head of lettuce (for garnishing)

"Side Dish) Vegetable Mayonnaise Molded Into Cup Shapes"

1916

From the treasured pages of Recetas de Pardo

Written by Hortensia Volante

Early Modern Kitchen (1900 - 1930)American European Advanced Lunch Dinner Other

Guarnición) Mayonesa De Verduras Moldeado En Forma De Cubiletes

Original Recipe • 1916

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

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

Guarnición) Mayonesa De Verduras Moldeado En Forma De Cubiletes

"2 remolachas 2 jitomates 6 rabanitos. (Guarnición) Mayonesa de verduras moldeado en 8 moldes en forma de cubiletes. En una cacerola se ponen 2 yemas de huevo; se baten con un batidor de alambre hasta que espese, después se le va poniendo el aceite poco a poco y batiendo fuertemente; se le pone 1/8 de litro de aceite, sal y pimienta vinagre y mostaza. Se disuelven 5 hojas de grenetina con 3 cucharadas de aspîc fundido y se le mezcla a la mayonesa. Se le pone zanahorias, nabo chicharos y ejotes cocidos y finamente picados; con esto se llenan los cubiletes y se ponen 1/2 hora en hielo. Las lenguas se colocan en el centro del platón, cortándoles la parte de abajo. Lo que se les corta se muele con una pechuga cocida y 1/4 de litro de crema de leche. Despues se le pone mas crema, sal y pimienta y mostaza y se le pone encima de las lenguas; después se le pone el aspic picado; los jitomates ahuecados y rellenos con lo que sobra de los cubiletes y un cogollo de lechuga. Los cubiletes se meten en agua caliente para sacarlos y se ponen alrededor del platón."

English Translation

"2 beets, 2 tomatoes, 6 radishes. (Side Dish) Vegetable mayonnaise molded in 8 molds in the shape of cups. In a saucepan, put 2 egg yolks; beat with a wire whisk until thickened, then gradually add oil while beating vigorously; add 1/8 liter of oil, salt and pepper, vinegar and mustard. Dissolve 5 sheets of gelatin with 3 tablespoons of melted aspic and mix it into the mayonnaise. Add carrots, turnip, peas, and green beans (all cooked and finely chopped); with this, fill the cups and place them on ice for half an hour. Place the tongue slices in the center of the platter, cutting off the bottom part. Grind the trimmed pieces with a cooked chicken breast and 1/4 liter of cream. Then add more cream, salt and pepper, and mustard, and put this on top of the tongues; then add chopped aspic; the hollowed-out tomatoes are filled with what is left over from the molds and a lettuce heart. Dip the molds in hot water to release them and arrange them around the platter."

Note on the Original Text

The recipe, as was common in early 20th-century manuscripts, is written in a narrative rather than stepwise format—ingredients are woven into the text rather than listed distinctly, and exact measurements are often implied or utlizied local standards such as 'una pechuga', 'hojas de grenetina', or 'platón'. Orthography sometimes shifts: 'jitomate' is a regional term for tomato; 'aspîc' denotes aspic but could be spelled various ways. Directions presume kitchen familiarity, expecting cooks to know how to set gelatin, build mayonnaise by hand, and improvise with available produce. Recipes from this era balance precision with resourceful intuition, making them a delightfully hands-on window into the past.

Modern Kitchen Interpretation

Recipe's Origin

Recetas de Pardo - Click to view recipe in book

Title

Recetas de Pardo (1916)

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

Writer

Hortensia Volante

Era

1916

Publisher

Unknown

Background

A charming handwritten cookbook from the early 20th century, Recetas de Pardo whisks readers into a world of culinary delights, blending traditional and French-inspired recipes with the personal flair of its author. Complete with an extra loose page of tasty secrets, it's a tasteful journey for any gastronomic adventurer.

Kindly made available by

University of Texas at San Antonio

Historical Background of the Recipe

Learn about old traditions

This recipe comes from 'Recetas de Pardo,' a handwritten cookbook compiled in 1916 by Hortensia Volante. The manuscript showcases Mexico's early 20th-century culinary landscape, heavily influenced by French cuisine, especially in formal households or social gatherings. Techniques like making mayonnaise by hand, molding aspic, and using fine garnishes reflect both the technological limitations and the aesthetic ambitions of the period. Vegetable 'cubiletes' (small individual molds) dressed in mayonnaise and gelatin and centered around slices of tongue or chicken were classic elements of festive table displays, blending beauty with European sophistication. Such fusion dishes were prized for both taste and visual appeal during the Porfirian and immediate post-revolutionary era, illustrating Mexico's openness to cosmopolitan ideas in the kitchen.

Culinary Tools when the Recipe was Crafted

Tools and techniques from kitchens of old

At the time, cooks relied on basic but sturdy kitchen tools: a heavy wire whisk for emulsifying the mayonnaise, a small sharp knife for slicing and dicing, a saucepan for boiling vegetables and dissolving gelatin, and simple metal or ceramic molds ('cubiletes', or ramekins) for shaping the salad. A large serving platter was essential for dramatic presentation. Chilling was achieved by packing items in ice-lined boxes or cellars, as mechanical refrigerators were rare in 1916. Serving involved careful unmolding—using a brief dip in hot water—and artful arrangement on the platter, requiring both patience and dexterity, which home cooks or professional staff cultivated through daily repetition.

Modern Kitchen Adaptation

Ingredients and techniques for today's cooks

ounces, cups, Fahrenheit

Prep Time

45 mins

Cook Time

40 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

2 medium beetroots (about 10.5 oz), cooked and peeled
2 medium tomatoes (about 7 oz total)
6 small radishes (about 1.75 oz)
2 egg yolks
1/2 cup neutral oil (sunflower or light olive oil)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon wine vinegar (about 0.5 fl oz)
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
5 sheets leaf gelatin (about 1/4 oz) or substitute 1 packet powdered gelatin (1/4 oz)
3 tablespoons warm aspic (about 1.5 fl oz; can substitute chicken or vegetable stock, cooled and gelled)
5 oz mixed cooked vegetables (carrot, turnip, green peas, green beans), finely diced
Sliced cooked tongue (7–10.5 oz, or substitute turkey or chicken breast for modern palates)
1 cooked chicken breast (about 4.25 oz)
1 cup heavy cream
Additional mustard, salt, and pepper to taste
Extra aspic (about 1.75 oz), chopped
1 small head of lettuce (for garnishing)

Instructions

Begin by hard-boiling two medium beetroots, then peel and dice them.
Slice six small radishes thinly and hollow out two ripe tomatoes (about 3.5 oz each), setting aside the pulp.
Prepare about 5 oz of a mixture of carrots, turnip, peas, and green beans by boiling them until tender, then dice finely.
To make the mayonnaise, place two fresh egg yolks in a mixing bowl and whisk until thickened.
Very slowly drizzle in 1/2 cup neutral oil while whisking vigorously, then add salt, pepper, a small splash of vinegar, and a teaspoon of Dijon mustard.
In a separate bowl, dissolve five sheets (about 1/4 oz) of leaf gelatin in 3 tablespoons of warm aspic (clarified meat or vegetable jelly).
Incorporate this dissolved gelatin-aspic mixture into the mayonnaise while mixing.
Stir the cooked, diced vegetables into the mayonnaise.
Spoon the mixture into eight small molds (muffin or timbale molds work well) and chill for 30 minutes to set.
For garnish, arrange cooked beef or veal tongue slices (or substitute turkey if tongue is unavailable) in the center of a serving platter, trimming the bases so they stand upright.
Mince the trimmings together with a cooked chicken breast and 1 cup heavy cream.
Add additional cream, salt, pepper, and a little more mustard to taste, then spoon this creamy mixture atop the tongue slices.
Scatter additional chopped aspic over everything.
Fill the hollowed tomatoes with any leftover vegetable-mayonnaise mixture and tuck a small lettuce heart inside each.
When ready to serve, briefly dip the molds in hot water to unmold the 'cubiletes', and arrange these around the platter.

Estimated Calories

250 per serving

Cooking Estimates

This recipe takes some time because you need to cook and peel beetroots, prepare and dice several vegetables, make homemade mayonnaise, and chill the molded mixture before serving. You will need some extra time if you use beef tongue instead of a ready-cooked substitute. Each serving contains a moderate amount of calories due to the mayonnaise and cream. The recipe makes 8 molded 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.