Recipe Manuscript

Gallina En Mostaza

Name: Gallina En Mostaza
Prep time: PTPT30M
Cook time: PTPT1H20M
Yield: 6
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 200 g yellow mustard seeds (soaked and rinsed; substitute 120 g prepared whole grain mustard if needed); 100 ml white wine or apple cider vinegar; 1–2 whole cloves; 5 cm stick cinnamon; 30 g lard or unsalted butter; 15 g sugar; 0.5 g saffron threads; 1 whole chicken (1.5–2 kg), poached; Additional lard or butter for browning chicken (about 30 g); 30 ml olive oil; 100 g sliced ham (Spanish jamón or prosciutto); 2–3 hard-boiled eggs, cut into quarters; 50 g pickled mild chili peppers (pepperoncini or pickled jalapeño, sliced); 8–10 green olives, pitted; 1–2 tbsp capers

"Hen In Mustard Sauce"

1831

From the treasured pages of El Cocinero Mexicano, Vol. 2

Written by Mariano Arevalo; Mariano Galvan Rivera

Age of Gastronomy (1800 - 1900)American Intermediate Dinner Lunch

Original Recipe • 1831

Original Manuscript(circa Age of Gastronomy, 1800 - 1900)

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

Gallina En Mostaza

"25. Para una gallina se muele una taza de mostaza muy bien lavada hasta que esté negra, bajándose del metate con vinagre y echándole clavo y canela: se pone al fuego con manteca, azucar y azafran, y cuando haya hervido se echa la gallina, cocida ya y dorada en manteca. Se aparta de la lumbre y se le añade un poco de aceite, rebanadas de jamon, huevos cocidos, tornachiles, aceitunas y alcaparras."

English Translation

"25. For one hen, grind one cup of mustard very well washed until it is black, removing it from the grinding stone with vinegar and adding cloves and cinnamon: put it on the fire with lard, sugar, and saffron, and when it has boiled, add the hen, already cooked and browned in lard. Remove from the heat and add a little oil, slices of ham, hard-boiled eggs, pickled peppers, olives, and capers."

Note on the Original Text

Nineteenth-century Mexican recipes, like this, are brief and assume the reader’s competence. Quantities are approximate or omitted, reflecting an oral tradition and reliance on culinary intuition. Spelling is largely phonetic, with terms like 'gallina' (hen) and 'mostaza' (mustard) faithful to contemporary Spanish. The instructions presuppose familiarity with traditional techniques—grinding by metate, poaching in clay pots, and garnishing just before serving. The list of garnishes at the end is presented as an artistic flourish, rather than a precise step.

Modern Kitchen Interpretation

Recipe's Origin

El Cocinero Mexicano, Vol. 2 - Click to view recipe in book

Title

El Cocinero Mexicano, Vol. 2 (1831)

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

Writer

Mariano Arevalo; Mariano Galvan Rivera

Era

1831

Publisher

Unknown

Background

A delightful foray into 19th-century Mexican kitchens, this volume serves up an appetizing array of recipes blending traditional Mexican flair with American culinary influences—a true feast for the adventurous palate.

Kindly made available by

University of Texas at San Antonio

Historical Background of the Recipe

Learn about old traditions

Gallina en mostaza hails from "El Cocinero Mexicano," a pioneering 1831 cookbook that chronicled both European and new American culinary influences in Mexico. Recipes like this one embody the mingling of indigenous ingredients and Spanish techniques, creating dishes layered with complex flavors and cosmopolitan flair. This was a period of great culinary innovation and cosmopolitanism in Mexico: older indigenous ingredients like chili, capers, and saffron were elegantly combined with European methods of sauce-making, producing festive dishes fit for Mexico's growing bourgeoise class.

Culinary Tools when the Recipe was Crafted

Tools and techniques from kitchens of old

The original cook would have used a metate (a large stone grinding slab) to crush the mustard seeds by hand, evoking both physical labor and culinary tradition. Other key tools included heavy clay or copper cazuelas for simmering the sauce, large spoons (often wooden), and open hearth or charcoal stoves for consistent gentle heat. Finer elements, such as straining or garnishing, might call for sieves and earthenware platters for rustic presentation. Eggs were boiled in clay pots, and chickens would likely have been poached and browned over open flame, with lard rendered at home.

Modern Kitchen Adaptation

Ingredients and techniques for today's cooks

ounces, cups, Fahrenheit

Prep Time

30 mins

Cook Time

1 hr 20 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

7 oz yellow mustard seeds (soaked and rinsed; substitute 4 1/4 oz prepared whole grain mustard if needed)
1/2 cup white wine or apple cider vinegar
1–2 whole cloves
2 inch stick cinnamon
1 oz lard or unsalted butter
1/2 oz sugar (about 1 tbsp)
1/50 oz (about 1/64 oz or large pinch) saffron threads
1 whole chicken (3 1/2–4 1/2 lb), poached
Additional lard or butter for browning chicken (about 1 oz)
2 tbsp olive oil
3 1/2 oz sliced ham (Spanish jamón or prosciutto)
2–3 hard-boiled eggs, cut into quarters
1 3/4 oz pickled mild chili peppers (pepperoncini or pickled jalapeño, sliced)
8–10 green olives, pitted
1–2 tbsp capers

Instructions

Begin by soaking approximately 7 ounces of yellow mustard seeds in water, and rinse them thoroughly to remove any bitterness—this gives the distinctive sharpness, as they did in 1831.
Grind the seeds (ideally in a stone mortar, but a food processor will do) until very fine and almost black in color.
Mix the ground mustard with about 1/2 cup of quality vinegar, forming a tangy paste.
Add 1–2 whole cloves and a small stick (about 2 inches) of cinnamon.
In a pan, melt 2 tablespoons (about 1 ounce) of lard or unsalted butter, stir in 1 tablespoon (about 1/2 ounce) of sugar, a generous pinch of saffron threads (about 1/50 ounce), and the mustard mixture.
Bring this to a gentle simmer, letting the spices infuse and the color deepen.
Meanwhile, poach a whole chicken (3 1/2–4 1/2 pounds) in water until tender, then remove and pat dry.
Brown the cooked chicken in a separate pan with more lard until the skin is golden.
Once the mustard sauce has cooked down (about 10 minutes), add the browned chicken to the sauce and allow everything to simmer together for a couple more minutes.
Remove from heat and enrich the still-warm sauce with a splash (2 tablespoons) of olive oil.
Finish the dish with sliced ham (about 3 1/2 ounces, Spanish-style or substitute with prosciutto), wedges of hard-boiled eggs (2–3), pickled mild chili peppers (tornachiles, or use pepperoncini or pickled jalapeños), green olives (8–10), and a handful of capers (1–2 tablespoons).
Serve hot, garnished with the colorful toppings.

Estimated Calories

480 per serving

Cooking Estimates

It takes about 20 minutes to soak and grind the mustard, 15 minutes to prepare and simmer the sauce, and roughly 10 minutes to brown the chicken and finish the dish. Poaching the chicken takes about 60 minutes. The dish serves 6 people, and each serving is about 480 calories.

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.