Recipe Manuscript

Asado De Pollos Con Aceitunas

Name: Asado De Pollos Con Aceitunas
Prep time: PTPT20M
Cook time: PTPT50M
Yield: 6
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1.5 kg whole chicken, cut into portions; 50 g lard or unsalted butter; 150 g chorizo sausage, sliced; 100 g cured ham, sliced; 150 ml water; 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped; 1 medium onion, finely chopped; 80 g green olives, pitted; 20 g fresh parsley, chopped; 1 whole clove; 0.25 tsp ground cinnamon; 0.25 tsp ground black pepper; 3–4 slices (about 80 g) white bread, fried; 0.5 tsp dried oregano; 0.5 tsp dried thyme; Pickled chili peppers (to taste); 2 tbsp capers

"Chicken Stew With Olives"

1913

From the treasured pages of La Cocina en el Bolsillo No. 3

Written by Antonio Vanegas Arroyo

Early Modern Kitchen (1900 - 1930)American Intermediate Dinner Lunch

Original Recipe • 1913

Original Manuscript(circa Early Modern Kitchen, 1900 - 1930)

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

Asado De Pollos Con Aceitunas

"Partidos los pollos en raciones, se frien en manteca con chorizos y rebanadas de jamón, cuando esté bien refrito se le echa una poca de agüa y sal suficiente. En seguida se le agrega ajo y cebolla picados y fritos aparte y aceitunas, perejil fresco, clavo canela pimienta y unas rebanadas de pan frito, todo esto bien molido se le añade un poco de oregano y tomillo dejándole un caldillo espeso. Se adorna con chilitos en vinagre, aceitunas y alcaparras."

English Translation

"Cut the chickens into portions and fry them in lard with chorizo and slices of ham; when well browned, add a little water and enough salt. Then add garlic and onion, chopped and fried separately, along with olives, fresh parsley, clove, cinnamon, pepper, and some slices of fried bread—all of this well ground. Add a little oregano and thyme, leaving it with a thick broth. Garnish with pickled chilies, olives, and capers."

Note on the Original Text

The recipe is written in brief, conversational Spanish, with run-on instructions and minimal quantities. This was typical of early 20th-century Mexican cookbooks, reflecting oral culinary tradition: cooks were expected to know approximate measures and timings. Spellings reflect pre-standardized orthography (e.g., 'agüa' for 'agua'), and certain instructions assume a practical familiarity with ingredient prep (like pre-frying and grinding the bread and garnishing with 'chilitos en vinagre'). Much is left to the cook’s judgment—a vivid reminder of adaptive, improvisational cooking of the past.

Modern Kitchen Interpretation

Recipe's Origin

La Cocina en el Bolsillo No. 3 - Click to view recipe in book

Title

La Cocina en el Bolsillo No. 3 (1913)

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

Writer

Antonio Vanegas Arroyo

Era

1913

Publisher

Unknown

Background

A delightful volume from the iconic 'Cocina en el bolsillo' series, this 1913 cookbook serves up a charming array of recipes, inviting readers to explore classic and creative dishes—ready to fit in your pocket and spice up any kitchen adventure.

Kindly made available by

University of Texas at San Antonio

Historical Background of the Recipe

Learn about old traditions

This recipe hails from 'La Cocina en el Bolsillo No. 3', published in 1913 in Mexico City by Antonio Vanegas Arroyo. It captures the vibrant, cosmopolitan flavors of Porfiriato-era Mexico, when French, Spanish, and native culinary techniques coexisted happily in urban kitchens. Such suitcase-sized pamphlets were popular for their affordability and practical advice, enabling cooks of the day—often domestic workers—to produce impressive, modern meals with familiar ingredients. The recipe is hearty and festive, blending indigenous Mexican flavors (chilitos en vinagre, olives, and capers) with unmistakably Spanish touches (ham, chorizo, and a bread-thickened sauce).

Culinary Tools when the Recipe was Crafted

Tools and techniques from kitchens of old

A wide, heavy pan (likely cast iron or copper), for frying chicken and assembling the stew, would have been essential. A smaller pan or comal for frying bread and sautéing onions and garlic. The cooks would use tongs or a sturdy serving spoon, a sharp knife for cutting up the chicken, and—importantly—a stone mortar and pestle (molcajete) for grinding up the fried bread, spices, and aromatics. Dishes were simmered over wood or coal-fired stoves, and serving platters or cazuelas made of glazed clay would have been typical for presenting the finished dish.

Modern Kitchen Adaptation

Ingredients and techniques for today's cooks

ounces, cups, Fahrenheit

Prep Time

20 mins

Cook Time

50 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

3.3 lb whole chicken, cut into portions
3.5 oz lard or unsalted butter
5.3 oz chorizo sausage, sliced
3.5 oz cured ham, sliced
2/3 cup water
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2.8 oz green olives, pitted
0.7 oz fresh parsley, chopped
1 whole clove
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
3–4 slices (about 2.8 oz) white bread, fried
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp dried thyme
Pickled chili peppers (to taste)
2 tbsp capers

Instructions

Cut one or two whole chickens (about 3.3 lb total) into serving pieces.
In a wide pan, melt 3.5 oz of pork lard or unsalted butter, and brown the chicken pieces thoroughly over medium heat.
Add 5.3 oz chorizo, sliced, and about 3.5 oz cured ham, also in slices; fry together until everything is nicely colored.
Pour in 2/3 cup water and a good pinch of salt.
Meanwhile, peel and finely chop two large garlic cloves and one medium onion; fry these in a separate small pan with 1 tbsp oil until translucent.
Stir this mixture into the chicken, then add about 2.8 oz green olives (pitted), a handful of chopped fresh parsley, one whole clove, a pinch of cinnamon, a generous grind of black pepper, and 3-4 slices of bread, fried crisp and then ground up fine (use a mortar & pestle or food processor).
Then, stir in a half teaspoon of dried oregano and a half teaspoon of thyme.
Simmer the dish gently, uncovered, until the sauce thickens into a rich, glossy gravy.
Just before serving, garnish generously with pickled chili peppers, extra olives, and 2 tbsp capers.
Serve hot from the pan with crusty bread.

Estimated Calories

525 per serving

Cooking Estimates

It takes about 20 minutes to chop, fry, and prepare all the ingredients. Cooking the dish on the stove takes around 50 minutes, including browning the chicken and simmering the sauce until it thickens. This recipe serves 6 people, with about 525 calories per serving.

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.