Recipe Manuscript

Pollo En Aceite

Name: Pollo En Aceite
Prep time: PTPT30M
Cook time: PTPT1H30M
Yield: 6
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 whole chicken (about 1.5 kg), cut into serving pieces; 200 g ripe tomatoes, finely chopped; 1 medium white onion (about 100 g), finely chopped; 3 cloves garlic (about 10 g), minced; 2 tbsp (30 g) lard or unsalted butter (or vegetable shortening as substitute); 500 ml neutral oil (sunflower or light olive oil); 1 tsp dried oregano; 2 tsp salt (to taste); For fish version: 1.5 kg firm white fish, flour for dredging, oil for frying

"Chicken In Oil"

1900

From the treasured pages of Mexican Cooking Notebook of Traditional and Original Mexican Recipes

Unknown Author

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

Original Recipe • 1900

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

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

Pollo En Aceite

"Se descuartiza el pollo se pica un poco de jitomate cebolla y ajo se unta una tortera de manteca se pone una capa del recaudo ya dicho y unas piezesitas del pollo encima su polvito de oregano y su polvito de sal se ban poniendo capas hasta concluir con una de recaudo y se le echa aceite á que cubra la tortera y se pone a dos fuegos mansos. Lo mismo se puede hacer de pescado con la diferencia de que se frie el pescado con manteca."

English Translation

"The chicken is cut into pieces, a bit of tomato, onion, and garlic is chopped; a baking dish is greased with lard. A layer of the previously mentioned mixture is placed, along with a few pieces of chicken on top, a sprinkle of oregano and a sprinkle of salt. Layers are alternated until finishing with one of the mixture, and then oil is poured in to cover the baking dish. It is cooked over two gentle flames. The same can be done with fish, with the difference that the fish should be fried with lard."

Note on the Original Text

Recipes from this notebook are written in the colloquial Spanish of the time, reflecting the oral, instructional style used by home cooks to pass on knowledge. Quantities are rarely precise, and the order of operations is conveyed through narrative rather than lists. Spellings follow period norms (e.g., 'jitomate' for tomato, 'manteca' for lard), and instructions often assume familiarity with kitchen methods, such as greasing pans and layering ingredients, reflecting a time when formal culinary writing was rare outside professional circles.

Modern Kitchen Interpretation

Recipe's Origin

Mexican Cooking Notebook of Traditional and Original Mexican Recipes - Click to view recipe in book

Title

Mexican Cooking Notebook of Traditional and Original Mexican Recipes (1900)

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

Writer

Unknown

Era

1900

Publisher

Unknown

Background

A delightful journey through the flavors of Mexico, this notebook brims with both traditional and original recipes—from sopa de chile to sangria—inviting you to savor the vibrant tastes and inventive spirit of Mexican home cooking at the turn of the century.

Kindly made available by

University of Texas at San Antonio

Historical Background of the Recipe

Learn about old traditions

This recipe originates from a handwritten Mexican cooking notebook compiled around 1900, when Mexico was undergoing great social and culinary change. Such notebooks were typically kept by women in the household, collecting both inherited and creatively adapted recipes, reflecting traditions and contemporary innovations. This particular recipe, Pollo en aceite, stands as an example of home-style Mexican comfort food, showcasing the growing use of both native and imported ingredients, as well as the merging of indigenous and European techniques. At the time, dishes like this were prepared for family meals, using what was on hand and often adapting techniques to suit available tools. The use of substantial amounts of oil or lard—sometimes called "en aceite"—is typical of festive or indulgent dishes of the era, meant to produce succulent, richly flavored meats.

Culinary Tools when the Recipe was Crafted

Tools and techniques from kitchens of old

In a typical early 20th-century Mexican kitchen, this recipe would have been prepared in a large, heavy clay or tin-lined copper pot (tortera), over an open fire or on a wood or charcoal stove. The cook would have chopped ingredients with a heavy knife or cleaver on a wooden board, and mixed the layers and seasonings by hand. Fat for greasing the pot would usually be rendered lard, and oil could come from olives or local seeds. If preparing the fish version, it would be fried in a cast-iron or clay pan before layering.

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

1 whole chicken (about 3.3 lbs), cut into serving pieces
7 oz ripe tomatoes, finely chopped
1 medium white onion (about 3.5 oz), finely chopped
3 cloves garlic (about 0.35 oz), minced
2 tbsp (1 oz) lard or unsalted butter (or vegetable shortening as substitute)
2 cups neutral oil (sunflower or light olive oil)
1 tsp dried oregano
2 tsp salt (to taste)
For fish version: 3.3 lbs firm white fish, flour for dredging, oil for frying

Instructions

Begin by cutting a whole chicken (about 3.3 pounds) into serving pieces.
Finely chop 7 ounces of ripe tomatoes, 1 medium white onion (about 3.5 ounces), and 3 cloves of garlic (roughly 0.35 ounces).
Grease the base and sides of a large Dutch oven or baking dish generously with 2 tablespoons (1 ounce) of lard or unsalted butter.
Place a layer of the chopped tomato-onion-garlic mixture on the bottom, then arrange a few pieces of chicken on top.
Sprinkle a pinch of dried oregano and some salt over the chicken.
Continue to layer the tomato mixture and chicken, seasoning each layer, finishing with a final layer of the tomato mix.
Pour enough neutral oil (such as sunflower or light olive oil—about 2 cups, or enough to just cover the contents) into the dish.
Cover and cook over very low heat, ideally on a stovetop over two burners set on low, or in a low oven (about 285°F), until the chicken is cooked through and very tender, about 1.5 hours.
If making the fish variation, use firm white fish (such as cod or tilapia); cut into serving pieces, dredge them lightly with flour, and fry in lard or oil until golden before layering with the tomato mixture as above.

Estimated Calories

520 per serving

Cooking Estimates

It takes about 30 minutes to prepare the ingredients and get everything layered in your dish. The active cooking time is about 1.5 hours until the chicken or fish is tender. Each serving has about 520 calories, and this recipe makes 6 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.