Guiso En Vino

This recipe hails from 'La Cocina en el Bolsillo No. 9,' written in 1890 by Antonio Vanegas Arroyo, a pivotal figure in Mexico's culinary publishing history. His pocket-sized cookbooks made diverse cooking techniques accessible to a burgeoning urban and middle-class readership during an era of growing cosmopolitan influences in Mexican kitchens. At a time when home kitchens often had limited resources, such recipes provided practical solutions for simple, refined meals, marrying local produce with modern European touches. The use of wine and olive oil reflects the period's fascination with French and Spanish culinary traditions—hallmarks of urban gastronomy in Mexico's Porfirian age.

Preparation called for a traditional cazuela—a clay or enameled earthenware casserole dish—ideal for slow, gentle braises. Fish were typically descaled and filleted by hand, with the help of a sharp knife. For heat, cooks would place the cazuela at the mouth of a clay or metal olla (pot), cover it with a comal—a thick, flat griddle—to distribute heat softly from above, creating an environment akin to a primitive Dutch oven. Low, steady heat from charcoal or wood ensured the wine didn’t evaporate too quickly, but infused the dish with subtlety.