Recipe Manuscript

Pollos Envinados

Name: Pollos Envinados
Prep time: PTPT30M
Cook time: PTPT1H30M
Yield: 8
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 2 whole chickens (about 2–2.5 kg total); 1.5 L water (or as needed to cover); 100 g seedless raisins; 100 g cured ham, diced (substitute: prosciutto or smoked shoulder if necessary); 30 g sesame seeds, toasted; 375 ml dry white wine; 0.2 g (small pinch) saffron threads; 30 g toasted bread crumbs; 2 whole cloves; 1 cinnamon stick; 0.5 tsp ground black pepper (freshly ground preferred); Salt, to taste

"Wine-Braised Chickens"

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 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

Pollos Envinados

"Se cosen las Pollas ò Pollos en agua, se le hecha pasas, jamon, ajonjolí tostado y se parten las Pollas, y se pone á cocer en su jugo; se le hecha vino, y azafrán, y se espesa con pan tostado, se le hecha clavo, canela, pimienta, y el vino que sea harto."

English Translation

"Boil the hens or chickens in water, add raisins, ham, toasted sesame seeds, and cut up the hens, and let them cook in their own juices; add wine and saffron, and thicken with toasted bread, add cloves, cinnamon, pepper, and be generous with the wine."

Note on the Original Text

Recipes from this era are written with a gentle brevity, assuming cooks were skilled and intuitive. Quantities like 'harto' (a lot) of wine imply generous use, and ingredients are listed as added, not portioned out formally. The orthography reflects historical Spanish—'pollas' in place of 'pollos', and the use of 'coser' meaning 'cocer,' to boil or cook. This style trusts the reader’s culinary sense and often omits details modern cooks expect, like precise measurements or cooking times. The recipe method is sequential, guiding the cook from boiling to seasoning to thickening in a single, flowing paragraph.

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, Pollos Envinados, hails from an 1808 Mexican manuscript cookbook penned by Doña Maria Ramona Quixano y Contreras, a resident of Silao. The volume is a fascinating window into upper-class Mexican kitchen life at the dawn of the nineteenth century, steeped in Spanish colonial influences but flavored with local adaptations. Envinados means 'with wine,' and reflects the era's penchant for cooking poultry with dried fruit, spices, and a heavy hand of fortified or table wine—a luxury ingredient in colonial Mexican households. The blend of sweet (raisins), savory (ham), rich spices, and the extravagance of wine and saffron signal a dish reserved for special occasions or honored guests.

Culinary Tools when the Recipe was Crafted

Tools and techniques from kitchens of old

In the kitchen of 1808, Doña Maria would have prepared this recipe over a wood- or charcoal-fueled hearth with large clay or metal pots for boiling and braising. A stone metate or mortar and pestle may have been used for toasting and grinding the sesame seeds, cinnamon, and pepper. Bread would be toasted over open coals and crumbled by hand or with a rolling pin. Wine would be measured in jugs or pitchers, with spoons and steady intuition guiding the cook more than measured cups.

Modern Kitchen Adaptation

Ingredients and techniques for today's cooks

ounces, cups, Fahrenheit

Prep Time

30 mins

Cook Time

1 hr 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

2 whole chickens (about 4.5–5.5 lbs total)
6 1/3 cups water (or as needed to cover)
3.5 oz seedless raisins
3.5 oz cured ham, diced (substitute: prosciutto or smoked shoulder if necessary)
1 oz sesame seeds, toasted
1.5 cups dry white wine
0.01 oz (small pinch) saffron threads
1 oz toasted bread crumbs
2 whole cloves
1 cinnamon stick
0.5 tsp ground black pepper (freshly ground preferred)
Salt, to taste

Instructions

Begin by simmering 2 whole young chickens (about 4.5–5.5 lbs total) in a large pot of water, just enough to cover, until tender.
Add 3.5 oz seedless raisins, 3.5 oz finely diced cured ham, and 1 oz toasted sesame seeds once the chickens are nearly cooked through.
Remove the chickens, cut them into serving pieces, and return them to the pot.
Pour in 1.5 cups dry white wine, add a small pinch (about 0.01 oz) of saffron threads, and thicken the liquid with 1 oz toasted bread crumbs.
Add 2 whole cloves, 1 cinnamon stick, and ½ teaspoon ground black pepper.
Allow everything to simmer gently until the sauce is rich and thick.
Taste and adjust seasoning.
The wine should be generous, providing distinct flavor and aroma.
Serve hot, spooning the spiced, raisin-studded sauce over the chicken.

Estimated Calories

550 per serving

Cooking Estimates

Preparing and cooking this dish takes some time because you first simmer the whole chickens until tender, then add the other ingredients and let them cook together until the flavors are rich. The prep time covers cutting up and toasting ingredients, while the cooking time is for simmering everything until it's ready. Each serving is filling because it's made with chicken and a rich sauce.

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.