Recipe Manuscript

Gallinas En Torta De Arros

Name: Gallinas En Torta De Arros
Prep time: PTPT30M
Cook time: PTPT2H5M
Yield: 8
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 500g short-grain white rice; 1 L water; 2 tsp salt; 50g unsalted butter (or lard); Pinch of ground black pepper; Pinch of ground cinnamon; Pinch of ground clove; 2 whole chickens (about 2 kg total), or substitute with 2 kg mixed poultry like duck/chicken, or game hens; 1 large onion (about 150g); 30g fresh parsley; 4 cloves garlic; 100g jamón (cured ham), or substitute with prosciutto or smoked ham; 100g chorizo, cooked and sliced; 80g lomo embuchado (smoked pork loin), or substitute with smoked pork tenderloin or bacon; 75g green olives, pitted and sliced; 40g capers; Additional butter or lard for greasing

"Hens In Rice Cake"

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 Advanced Dinner Lunch

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

Gallinas En Torta De Arros

"Se limpia el arros, se laba, y se pone a cocer con sal y manteca; despues de cocido se le hechan sus especias, y se deja enfriar; se cuecen las gallinas, o pollas, o perdices; despues se asaran, y se pica cebolla, perejil, y ajos, que frie en manteca, y se hechan alli las gallinas asadas, añadiendo Jamon, chorizos, lornachas, aceitunas, y alcaparras, y estando todo incorporado, se aparta a enfriar; se unta una cazuela con manteca, y se vá poniendo una capa de arroz, otra de gallina, y siguiendo asi de suerte que empiece con arroz y con el acabe, y se le pone fuego arriba y abajo para que se cueza."

English Translation

"The rice is cleaned, washed, and put to cook with salt and lard; after it's cooked, spices are added and it's left to cool; the hens, or young hens, or partridges are cooked; afterwards, they are roasted, and onion, parsley, and garlic are chopped and fried in lard, and then the roasted hens are added, along with ham, sausages, cured pork, olives, and capers. Once everything is well combined, it is set aside to cool; a casserole is greased with lard, and then a layer of rice is placed, followed by a layer of hen, and so on, making sure to start and finish with rice. It is cooked with heat applied above and below so that it bakes."

Note on the Original Text

The recipe is written in a typically early 19th-century Mexican-Spanish vernacular, using run-on sentences, minimal punctuation, and archaic spellings (‘arros’ for 'arroz', ‘frie’ for ‘fríe’, ‘hechan’ for ‘echan’). Instructions assume a high degree of cook’s experience and rely on implicit kitchen knowledge rather than precise measurements. This style prioritizes method over detail, expecting the reader to interpret cues (like seasoning levels or doneness) through experience. The sequence of operations flows naturally, guiding a cook through the logical order rather than rigid steps.

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 exuberant dish hails from the heart of early 19th-century colonial Mexico, specifically from a handwritten cookbook preserved by Doña Maria Ramona Quixano y Contreras in 1808. The context is one of domestic luxury: a well-supplied kitchen, reflecting both Spanish culinary traditions and local Mexican adaptations. Gallinas en Torta de Arros showcases the New Spanish affinity for layered and festive dishes, merging the practicality of rice (from Moorish Spain) with the complex proteins and cured meats celebrated in Iberian feasting. Meats such as jamón and chorizo, still relative novelties in colonial kitchens, underline the recipe’s status as a dish for special occasions.

Culinary Tools when the Recipe was Crafted

Tools and techniques from kitchens of old

In the early 1800s, this recipe would require several key kitchen implements: a heavy clay or copper cazuela (baking dish) to build and bake the layers; large clay or iron pots for boiling the rice and poultry; and wooden spoons for stirring and mixing ingredients. Knives for chopping, mortars for crushing spices, and hand-held graters were also essential. Cooking was done over open fire or in a wood-fired oven, using embers above and below the dish for even baking—a slow, communal ritual reflecting the leisurely pace of grand kitchen work.

Modern Kitchen Adaptation

Ingredients and techniques for today's cooks

ounces, cups, Fahrenheit

Prep Time

30 mins

Cook Time

2 hrs 5 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

1 lb 2 oz short-grain white rice
4 1/4 cups water
2 tsp salt
3 1/2 tbsp unsalted butter (or lard)
Pinch of ground black pepper
Pinch of ground cinnamon
Pinch of ground clove
2 whole chickens (about 4 lb 6 oz total), or substitute with 4 lb 6 oz mixed poultry like duck/chicken, or game hens
1 large onion (about 5 oz)
1 oz fresh parsley
4 cloves garlic
3 1/2 oz jamón (cured ham), or substitute with prosciutto or smoked ham
3 1/2 oz chorizo, cooked and sliced
2 3/4 oz lomo embuchado (smoked pork loin), or substitute with smoked pork tenderloin or bacon
2 3/4 oz green olives, pitted and sliced
1 1/2 oz capers
Additional butter or lard for greasing

Instructions

Begin by rinsing 1 lb 2 oz of short-grain white rice under cold water until the water runs clear.
Place the rice in a pot with approximately 4 1/4 cups of water, 2 teaspoons of salt, and 3 1/2 tablespoons of unsalted butter.
Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until the rice is cooked through and the liquid absorbed.
When almost done, add a pinch each of ground black pepper, cinnamon, and clove.
Remove from the heat and allow to cool.
In a separate pot, cook 2 whole chickens (about 4 lb 6 oz total) in salted water until tender—about 45 minutes.
Let cool slightly, then roast them at 400°F (200°C) for 25–30 minutes until golden.
Once cooled, cut into serving pieces.
While the chickens are roasting, finely chop 1 large onion (about 5 oz), a handful of parsley (1 oz), and 4 cloves of garlic.
Sauté these in 2 tablespoons of lard or butter over medium heat until soft.
To the sautéed mixture, add the roasted chicken pieces, 3 1/2 oz diced jamón (cured ham), 3 1/2 oz sliced cooked chorizo, 2 3/4 oz sliced lomo embuchado (or substitute with smoked pork loin), 2 3/4 oz pitted green olives, and 1 1/2 oz capers.
Cook gently to meld flavors, then set aside to cool.
Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C).
Grease a deep ovenproof dish with butter.
Layer the rice and chicken mixture, starting and ending with rice.
Cover and bake for 35–40 minutes, optionally finishing with a few minutes under the broiler for a crispy top.

Estimated Calories

650 per serving

Cooking Estimates

The recipe takes about 30 minutes to prepare ingredients, including chopping and rinsing. Cooking the rice, poaching and roasting the chicken, sautéing the aromatics, and baking the assembled dish takes about 2 hours and 5 minutes. Each serving contains about 650 calories, and the recipe serves 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.