Recipe Manuscript

Guacamole Relleno

Name: Guacamole Relleno
Prep time: PTPT15M
Cook time: PTPT25M
Yield: 4
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 2 medium avocados (about 500g); 1/2 teaspoon salt; 1 small ripe tomato (about 60g, preferably similar to 'tomatito catalán', substitute with Roma or vine tomato); 100g cooked minced beef (or chicken/pork as available); 1 tablespoon fresh marjoram leaves, chopped; 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, chopped; 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon; 1 teaspoon ground cloves; 1 teaspoon ground black pepper; 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar; 2 tablespoons water; 2 egg yolks, divided; 1 tablespoon white wine; Shredded lettuce (about 50g), for garnish; 1 teaspoon olive oil, for dressing; 1 teaspoon vinegar, for dressing

"Stuffed Guacamole"

1830

From the treasured pages of Del Huso de Consepcion Gutierres y Franco

Written by Concepción Gutierres y Franco

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

Original Recipe • 1830

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

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

Guacamole Relleno

"Se le quita la cascara al aguacate, se muele y se le da punto de sal; despues se le echa un tomatito catalan, se echa la carne picada, se le echa de todo picado y de todas especias se le echa clabo, canela, pimienta, tomillo, mejorana y sal; se le echa un poco de vinagre, y se le echa agua del bote, y se le echa una yema de huevo y se rellena y se echa en una cazuela con agua y se pone a cocer y al retirarse se le echa una yema de huevo cruda y un poco de vino y vinagre para que no se seque y se tapa con un comal al reves, que de este modo puede durar hasta quatro dias y se sirve con lechuga picada en azeite y vinagre."

English Translation

"The skin is removed from the avocado, it is mashed and seasoned with salt; then a small Catalan tomato is added, minced meat is added, everything is added finely chopped along with all kinds of spices: clove, cinnamon, pepper, thyme, marjoram, and salt; a little vinegar is added, and some water from the jar, and an egg yolk is added, and it is stuffed and placed in a pot with water to cook, and after removing from the heat, a raw egg yolk and a little wine and vinegar are added so it does not dry out and it is covered with a comal turned upside down; this way it can last up to four days, and it is served with chopped lettuce in oil and vinegar."

Note on the Original Text

The recipe is written in a continuous, narrative style, as was typical of early 19th-century manuscript cookbooks. The instructions flow without separation into clear steps, assuming an experienced cook's intuition and prior culinary knowledge. Spellings may differ from modern Spanish; for example, 'clabo' stands for clavo (clove), and punctuation is minimal. Quantities are imprecise, reflecting both an oral tradition and the scarcity of standardized measures, making modern adaptation necessary for reproducibility. Such recipes require the reader to interpret and adapt proportions and methods based on context and familiarity with ingredients. This flexibility was both a necessity and a sign of the creativity expected of cooks of the time.

Modern Kitchen Interpretation

Recipe's Origin

Del Huso de Consepcion Gutierres y Franco - Click to view recipe in book

Title

Del Huso de Consepcion Gutierres y Franco (1830)

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

Writer

Concepción Gutierres y Franco

Era

1830

Publisher

Unknown

Background

A charming Mexican cooking notebook from 1830, filled with approximately forty handwritten recipes. Lovingly inscribed in black ink and bound in blue cloth, this delectable collection offers a tantalizing glimpse into the flavors and artistry of 19th-century Mexican cuisine.

Kindly made available by

University of Texas at San Antonio

Historical Background of the Recipe

Learn about old traditions

Guacamole Relleno comes from an early 19th-century Mexican manuscript, compiled by Concepcion Gutierres y Franco in 1830. This recipe represents the rich crosscurrents of Spanish and indigenous culinary traditions in post-colonial Mexico. It stands out because it transforms the now ubiquitous guacamole from a simple relish into a complex, savory main course, incorporating meat, eggs, and aromatic European spices. Handwritten cooking notebooks like this one were common among upper-class women in Mexico. Such manuscripts both preserved family recipes and reflected changing tastes and ingredients available via colonial trade routes. In this recipe, the use of ‘clabo’ (clove), cinnamon, and marjoram suggest global influences converging in Mexican kitchens of the period.

Culinary Tools when the Recipe was Crafted

Tools and techniques from kitchens of old

The recipe would have been prepared using stone mortars (molcajetes) for mashing the avocado and mixing the spices. Meats would have been chopped finely with a large knife or cleaver on a wooden board. The mixture would be baked or simmered in a glazed earthenware casserole (cazuela) over an open fire or charcoal stove, tightly covered with a flat clay griddle (comal) inverted on top to keep in steam. Lettuce would be shredded using a knife or by hand, and dressed in a simple ceramic bowl.

Modern Kitchen Adaptation

Ingredients and techniques for today's cooks

ounces, cups, Fahrenheit

Prep Time

15 mins

Cook Time

25 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 avocados (about 18 oz)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 small ripe tomato (about 2 oz, preferably similar to 'tomatito catalán', substitute with Roma or vine tomato)
3.5 oz cooked minced beef (or chicken/pork as available)
1 tablespoon fresh marjoram leaves, chopped
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, chopped
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons water
2 egg yolks, divided
1 tablespoon white wine
Shredded lettuce (about 1.75 oz), for garnish
1 teaspoon olive oil, for dressing
1 teaspoon vinegar, for dressing

Instructions

Begin by peeling 2 medium avocados (about 18 oz total).
Mash the flesh with a fork and seasn with 1/2 teaspoon salt.
Dice one small ripe tomato (such as Roma, about 2 oz) and mix in.
Add 3.5 oz finely minced cooked beef or other lean ground meat (alternatively, use chicken or pork).
Then add a mixture of finely chopped aromatics: 1 tablespoon fresh marjoram leaves, 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, and 1 teaspoon each of ground cinnamon, ground cloves, and black pepper.
Add 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar and 2 tablespoons water.
Bind the mixture with 1 egg yolk.
Refill the cleaned avocado skins with this mixture.
Place them in a shallow baking dish or casserole, add enough water to barely come up the sides (about 2/3 to 3/4 cup, just enough to keep moist while cooking).
Cover tightly (historically, an inverted comal or griddle was used as a lid) and simmer gently for 20-30 minutes.
Before serving, mix another raw egg yolk with 1 tablespoon white wine and 1 teaspoon vinegar; pour this over the hot avocados to moisten.
Serve with shredded letuce dressed with olive oil and vinegar.

Estimated Calories

320 per serving

Cooking Estimates

You need about 15 minutes to prepare the ingredients, then you cook the filled avocados for 25 minutes. Each serving has around 320 calories. This recipe makes 4 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.