Themigrants from Scotlandfrom the southern states of Usa had a tradition of deep-frying poultry in fat and even prior to this they used to fry fritters in the middle ages. The Scottish immigrants would often work, live and dine with the African slaves and this lead to the Africans adding some extra seasonings to the process andmakingtheir own interpretationof deep-fried chicken. These Africans later became thechefsin many a Southern American home where fried chicken became a regular staple. They also observed that it journeyed well inwarmtemperatures in the times before refrigeration was everyday so was enjoyed on almost every day basis as they went to the cotton fields to labor. Since, it has become the region’s preferred choicefor just about any occasion.
This is said to have come from a male known as James Boswell who wrote alogin 1773 known as “record of a Tour to the Hebrides”. In his record he noted that at meals the local people would eat fricassee of poultry which he went on to say “crispy fried chicken or something like that”. What he in fact heard was the Scottish dish Friars Chicken, not crispy 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 dish for crispy deep-fried chicken in English is hidden away in one of the most well-known culinary books of the 18th century by Hannah Glasse known as The Art of cookery Made Plain and Easy. Her dish had a strange name named “To Marinate Chickens” which was first in print in 1747. The book was a success in the United kingdom and more importantly in the American Colonies.
Here is the original procedure...
Cut two chickens into quarters; 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 the yolks of two eggsa little melted butter and nutmeg. Beat it all together thoroughly, dip yourchicken piecesin the batter and fry them in a high-quality deal of pork lardwhich must boil first before you put your fowl in. Let them be of light golden incolour and arrange them on your bowl with a garnish of fried parsley. Serve with lemons and a first-rate gravy. Today, we have swapped out the hog fat with Rapeseed oil which contains 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 mix has walked worldwide and how different cultures have adopted their own versions.
