Themigrants from Scotlandfrom the southern states of America had a tradition of deep-frying chicken in fat and even prior to this they used to fry fritters in the middle ages.
The Scrotish migrants would often labor, live and dine with the African slaves and this lead to the Africans adding some more spices to the mix andgeneratingtheir own versionof crispy fried chicken.
These Africans later became thefood preparersin many a Southern American house where deep-fried chicken became a universal staple.
This is said to have come from a fellow called James Boswell who wrote arecordin 1773 called “journal of a Tour to the Hebrides”.
In his log he noted that at meals the locals would eat fricassee of capon which he went on to say “fried chicken or something like that”.
What he in actual fact heard was the Scottish dish Friars Chicken, not fried chicken but you could say that where it was first named.They also learned that it journeyed well inwarmclimate prior to refrigeration was everyday so was enjoyed on almost a daily basis as they travelled to the cotton fields to labor.
Since, it has become the south's preferred choicefor just about any occasion.
The very true origins of deep-fried chicken we will probably never know but the earliest known process for deep-fried chicken in English is obscured in one of the most prominent cooking 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 published in 1747. The book was a success in the UK and more importantly in the US Colonies.
Here is the original food...
Cut two chickens into pieces; steep 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 yolksa little melted butter and nutmeg. Beat it all together well, dip yourchicken piecesin the batter and fry them in a high-quality deal of pork shorteningwhich must boil first before you put your fowl in. Let them be of golden incolour and serve them on your platter with a garnish of fried parsley. Serve with lemons and a first-class gravy. Presently, we have changed 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 formula has walked worldwide and how different cultures have adopted their own versions.
