TheScrotish migrantsfrom the southern states of Us had a tradition of deep-frying chicken pieces in fat and even previously they used to fry fritters in the middle ages. The immigrants from Scotland would often work, live and dine with the African Americans and this lead to the Africans adding some additional seasoning to the mix andproducingtheir own versionof crispy fried chicken. These Africans later evolved to be thefood preparersin many a Southern American household where fried chicken became a common staple.
They also found out that it lasted well well inhottemperatures in the times before refrigeration was commonplace so was consumed on almost every day basis as they travelled to the cotton fields to labor. Since then it has become the southern state's top choicefor just about any occasion.
This is said to have come from a male known as James Boswell who wrote adiaryin 1773 called “record of a Tour to the Hebrides”. In his diary he noted that at dinner the locals would eat fricassee of chicken which he went on to say “crispy fried chicken or something like that”. What he in actual fact heard was the Scottish dish Friars Chicken, not deep-fried chicken but you could say that where it was first named.
The very true origins of fried chicken we will probably never know but the earliest known food for crispy fried chicken in English is hidden away in one of the most notable cookery books of the 18th century by Hannah Glasse named The Art of cookery Made Plain and Easy. Her process had a strange name called “To Marinate Chickens” which was first in print in 1747. The book was a success in the England and more importantly in the US Colonies.
Here is the original dish...
Cut two chickens into pieces; marinate them in vinegar for 3-4 hours with pepper, salt, bay and a few cloves. Make a very thick batter first with ½ pint of wine and flour then 2 eeg yolkssome melted butter and nutmeg. Beat it all together very well, dip yourchicken piecesin the batter and fry them in a excellent deal of hogs lardwhich must boil first before you put your fowl in. Let them be of bronze incolour and arrange them on your bowl with a garnish of fried parsley. Serve with cut lemon and a good gravy. Now, we have substituted the hog fat with Rapeseed oil which features nearly zero trans fats and we use a brine of buttermilk and salt to season our chicken throughout. It’s amazing to think how far this procedure has went worldwide and how different cultures have adopted their own versions.
