TheScottish immigrantsfrom the southern states of Us had a tradition of deep frying chicken pieces in fat and even further back they used to fry fritters in the middle ages. The Scottish immigrants would often labor, live and eat with the indentured Africans and this lead to the Africans adding some other seasonings to the process andcreatingtheir own interpretationof deep-fried chicken. These Africans later became thecooksin many a Southern American house where fried chicken became a ordinary staple. They also learned that it journeyed well inhotweather prior to refrigeration was common so was enjoyed on almost a daily basis as they travelled to the cotton fields to work. Since, it has become the south's best optionfor just about any occasion.
This is said to have come from a guy known as James Boswell who wrote adiaryin 1773 known as “journal of a Tour to the Hebrides”. In his record he noted that at meals the local people would eat fricassee of rooster which he went on to say “crispy fried chicken or something like that”. What he in reality heard was the Scottish dish Friars Chicken, not crispy deep-fried chicken but you could say that where it was first named.
The very true origins of deep-fried chicken we will probably never know but the earliest known procedure for fried chicken in English is obscured in one of the most famous cooking books of the 18th century by Hannah Glasse known as The Art of cookery Made Plain and Easy. Her dish had a strange name known as “To Marinate Chickens” which was first published in 1747. The book was a success in the United kingdom and more importantly in the Usa Colonies.
Here is the original process...
Joint two chickens into quarters; lay 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 thoroughly, dip yourchicken piecesin the batter and fry them in a good quality deal of pork lardwhich must boil first before you put your fowl in. Let them be of bronze incolour and place them on your bowl with a garnish of fried parsley. Serve with lemon wedges and a superior gravy. Presently, we have substituted 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 procedure has walked worldwide and how different cultures have adopted their own versions.
