Recipe Manuscript

Perdigado

Name: Perdigado
Prep time: PTPT20M
Cook time: PTPT1H40M
Yield: 6
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1.5–2 kg whole chicken(s); 50 g butter or lard; 30 g dried mild chilies (such as guajillo or ancho); 3 garlic cloves; 2 g cumin seeds (about 1 tsp); 120 ml bitter orange juice (or 80 ml orange juice + 40 ml lime juice as substitute); 10 g sugar (2–3 tsp, to taste); Salt, to taste; 40 g green olives, pitted; Whole pickled chilies (to taste/for garnish); 20 g toasted sesame seeds

"Perdigado"

1890

From the treasured pages of La Cocina en el Bolsillo No. 12

Written by Antonio Vanegas Arroyo

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

Original Recipe • 1890

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

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

Perdigado

"Después de cocidas las gallinas se perdigan en manteca y hasta que se doran bien se apartan; se fríe un poco de chile bien desflemado, se le muelen ajos y cominos y se le echa sumo de naranja agria, azúcar y sal hasta que quede agri-dulce, se le echan los pedazos de gallina y se pone á dos fuegos hasta que espece; se le echan aceitunas, chilitos y ajonjolí tostado por encima."

English Translation

"After the hens are cooked, they are browned in butter and once well browned, set aside; a bit of well-deseeded chili is fried, then garlic and cumin are ground in, and sour orange juice, sugar, and salt are added until it becomes sweet and sour. The pieces of hen are added to this and it is cooked over two flames until it thickens; olives, little chilies, and toasted sesame seeds are sprinkled on top."

Note on the Original Text

The recipe, like many of its time, assumes basic culinary intuition and household experience. Quantities are rarely specified, and instructions are brief; cooks were expected to know how much was appropriate for their family or guests. Ingredients reflect what was locally available, and the directions privilege technique—frying, browning, simmering—over precision. Spelling and terminology echo 19th-century Mexican Spanish; for example, 'perdigar' (to brown or fry a bird) and 'sumo de naranja agria' (bitter orange juice) are region-specific and less common today. This succinct style was both practical and rooted in oral tradition.

Modern Kitchen Interpretation

Recipe's Origin

La Cocina en el Bolsillo No. 12 - Click to view recipe in book

Title

La Cocina en el Bolsillo No. 12 (1890)

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

Writer

Antonio Vanegas Arroyo

Era

1890

Publisher

Unknown

Background

A delightful pocket-sized treasure from the numbered series 'Cocina en el Bolsillo', this volume serves up a tempting array of recipes, inviting culinary enthusiasts on a tasteful journey through a variety of traditional foods.

Kindly made available by

University of Texas at San Antonio

Historical Background of the Recipe

Learn about old traditions

This delightful recipe for 'Perdigado' hails from the late 19th century, preserved within 'La Cocina en el Bolsillo No. 12', printed in 1890 by the famed Mexican publisher Antonio Vanegas Arroyo. These chapbook-style booklets made recipes accessible for the rising urban middle class of Mexico City, capturing the flavors and ingenuity of domestic kitchens of the era. 'Perdigado' reflects the hybrid culinary world of Porfirian Mexico: French influences in the browning of poultry, merged with indigenous Mexican ingredients like chilies and sesame, and Old World touches like olives. The bittersweet orange juice gives a uniquely Yucatán tang, hinting at regional diversity and the use of available local produce.

Culinary Tools when the Recipe was Crafted

Tools and techniques from kitchens of old

Back in the 1890s, cooks would have prepared this recipe over an open fire or a charcoal brazier, using heavy clay cazuelas or cast-iron pans to brown chicken and simmer sauces. Stone mortars and pestles, known as molcajetes, were essential for grinding chilies, garlic, and spices. Simple knives and wooden spoons were the norm, and toasting sesame seeds would be done in small earthenware or metal pans. Serving would be rustic, straight from the cazuela to the table.

Modern Kitchen Adaptation

Ingredients and techniques for today's cooks

ounces, cups, Fahrenheit

Prep Time

20 mins

Cook Time

1 hr 40 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

3–4 lb whole chicken(s)
3½ oz butter or lard
1 oz dried mild chilies (such as guajillo or ancho)
3 garlic cloves
1 tsp cumin seeds (about 0.07 oz)
½ cup bitter orange juice (or ⅓ cup orange juice + 2½ tbsp lime juice as substitute)
⅓ oz sugar (2–3 tsp, to taste)
Salt, to taste
1½ oz green olives, pitted
Whole pickled chilies (to taste/for garnish)
¾ oz toasted sesame seeds

Instructions

Begin by cooking one or two whole chickens (about 3–3½ lb each), either by simmering in lightly salted water until tender or roasting.
Once cooked and cooled enough to handle, cut or tear the chickens into serving pieces.
In a large skillet or heavy-bottomed pan, melt approximately 3½ oz of butter or lard and brown the chicken pieces until golden on all sides.
Meanwhile, deseed and soak 3–4 dried mild chilies (such as guajillo or ancho, about 1 oz), then fry them lightly in the butter until fragrant but not burned.
Blend these chilies with 3 garlic cloves and 1 teaspoon (about 0.07 oz) cumin seeds to form a paste.
Return this paste to the pan and stir until aromatic.
Add about ½ cup (4 fl oz) of freshly squeezed bitter orange juice (or a mix of 2 parts orange juice, 1 part lime juice if bitter orange is unavailable).
Stir in 2–3 teaspoons (about ⅓ oz) of sugar and salt to taste until the sauce is balanced sweet and tangy.
Return the chicken pieces to the pan, coat well with the sauce, and simmer gently on very low heat (you can use the oven or a stovetop diffuser) until the sauce thickens and glazes the meat—about 20–30 minutes.
Finish by scattering over a handful (about 1½ oz) of green olives, a few whole pickled chilies, and 2–3 tablespoons (about ¾ oz) of toasted sesame seeds before serving.

Estimated Calories

450 per serving

Cooking Estimates

It takes about 20 minutes to prepare the ingredients and workspace. Cooking the chicken and finishing the dish takes around 1 hour and 40 minutes altogether. Each serving has about 450 calories. This recipe serves 6 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.