Recipe Manuscript

Ensalada De Cebollas

Name: Ensalada De Cebollas
Prep time: PTPT20M
Cook time: PTPT1H
Yield: 8
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 kg small onions (pearl onions or similar); 50 g unsalted butter; 480 ml white wine vinegar (or apple cider vinegar as an alternative); 600 ml water; 2 tsp ground black pepper; 2 tsp ground cloves; 60 g white sugar; 1 large cinnamon stick, broken into small pieces

"Onion Salad"

1808

From the treasured pages of Libro de varios guisados, antes, y postres, que pertenece

Written by Maria Ramona Quixano y Contreras

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

Original Recipe • 1808

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

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

Ensalada De Cebollas

"Se cogen las cebollas chiquitas en la cabeza se le pone su pegujon de manteca; si fueren bastantes dos tazas de vinagre, se hechan en una olla, dos tazas y media de agua, bastante pimiento, clavo, todo molido, un texo de azucar blanco, y a cada cebolla se le clava unos pedazitos de canela, y no han de estar en mucho lumbre, ni se han de menear, ni destapar, por que no se pierdan, y si se secaren se hecha mas agua y vinagre, hasta que quede el caldo espeso."

English Translation

"Take the small onions and put a dollop of butter on top of each; if you have enough, use two cups of vinegar. Put them in a pot with two and a half cups of water, plenty of pepper, clove (all ground), a piece of white sugar, and stick a few pieces of cinnamon into each onion. Do not cook them over high heat, and do not stir or uncover them so they do not fall apart. If they dry out, add more water and vinegar, until the broth becomes thick."

Note on the Original Text

Recipes from this period use direct, narrative instructions, intended for readers already familiar with basic kitchen methods. Measures often reference household items (like 'tazas' for cups) and quantities are indicated by common sense or visual cues, reflecting a highly intuitive cooking style. Orthography and grammar mirror the fluid conventions of early 19th-century Mexican Spanish, with words like "pegujon" (likely 'pegajón' or 'a lump') and "texo de azucar" (possibly meaning 'tejo', a chunk or piece of sugar), requiring small acts of interpretation from the modern cook. The recipe's calm, almost meditative prohibition against stirring or opening the pot adds a poetic, almost spiritual, touch to preserving the onions' beauty.

Modern Kitchen Interpretation

Recipe's Origin

Libro de varios guisados, antes, y postres, que pertenece - Click to view recipe in book

Title

Libro de varios guisados, antes, y postres, que pertenece (1808)

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

Writer

Maria Ramona Quixano y Contreras

Era

1808

Publisher

Unknown

Background

A charming window into 19th-century Mexican home cooking, this manuscript whisks readers through a delectable array of chicken dishes, vibrant salsas, and colorful salads—each recipe graced with the personal touch of Doña Maria Ramona Quixano y Contreras.

Kindly made available by

University of Texas at San Antonio

Historical Background of the Recipe

Learn about old traditions

This recipe is drawn from an early 19th-century Mexican manuscript cookbook, compiled in 1808 by María Ramona Quixano y Contreras, a notable resident of Silao. These hand-written cookbooks, often passed through generations and especially common among well-off families, provide a delectable window into Mexican home cooking before Mexican Independence, filled with both savory and sweet preparations for family feasts and gatherings. The salad reflects the local taste for preserving and seasoning vegetables with aromatic spices, hinting at both Spanish and indigenous culinary influences in colonial Mexico.

Culinary Tools when the Recipe was Crafted

Tools and techniques from kitchens of old

The original preparation would have relied on a thick clay or copper pot heated over a wood-fired or charcoal hearth. A traditional stone molcajete (mortar and pestle) would be used to grind the pepper and cloves. The onions might have been peeled using a small, sharp knife, and ladles or wooden spoons would be used minimally to avoid agitating the onions as they cooked, ensuring their delicate structure stayed intact. A tightly fitting pot lid was essential to capture the aromatic steam and gently cook the onions.

Modern Kitchen Adaptation

Ingredients and techniques for today's cooks

ounces, cups, Fahrenheit

Prep Time

20 mins

Cook Time

1 hr

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

2.2 lbs small onions (pearl onions or similar)
1.75 oz unsalted butter
2 cups white wine vinegar (or apple cider vinegar as an alternative)
2.5 cups water
2 tsp ground black pepper
2 tsp ground cloves
1/4 cup white sugar
1 large cinnamon stick, broken into small pieces

Instructions

To prepare this 1808 Mexican onion salad in modern terms, begin by selecting small onions—pearl onions work beautifully for this dish.
Peel them, keeping the heads intact if possible.
For each onion, add a small knob of butter on top (roughly 0.2 oz per onion).
Place all the onions in a large, heavy-bottomed pot.
For a generous batch, pour in about 2 cups of vinegar and 2.5 cups of water.
Grind together plenty of black pepper and cloves—about 2 teaspoons each—and sprinkle this aromatic mix over the onions.
To the mixture, add about 1/4 cup of white sugar.
Break cinnamon sticks into small pieces and push a piece of cinnamon into each onion.
Gently simmer the onions over low heat, covered, avoiding stirring or opening the pot, so the onions retain their shape.
If the liquid reduces too quickly, add more vinegar and water, continuing until the liquid thickens into a luscious, syrupy consistency.

Estimated Calories

120 per serving

Cooking Estimates

Preparing the onions and other ingredients will take about 20 minutes, while gently simmering everything takes around 1 hour. Each serving has around 120 calories, and this recipe serves about 8 people.

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.