Theimmigrants from Scotlandfrom the southern states of Us had a custom of deep frying poultry in lard and even before this they used to fry fritters in the middle ages.
The immigrants from Scotland would often labor, live and dine with the African Americans and this lead to the Africans adding some more flavorings to the dish andmakingtheir own versionof crispy deep-fried chicken.
These Africans later went on to become thecooksin many a Southern American house where fried chicken became a ordinary staple.
This is said to have come from a man called James Boswell who wrote alogin 1773 named “log of a Tour to the Hebrides”.
In his journal he noted that at mealtime the local folks would eat fricassee of chicken which he went on to say “fried chicken or something like that”.
What he actually heard was the Scottish dish Friars Chicken, not crispy fried chicken but you could say that where it was first named.They also learned that it lasted well well inhotclimate in the times before refrigeration was everyday so was eaten on almost a daily basis as they went to the cotton fields to work.
Since then it has become the south's best choicefor just about any occasion.
The very true origins of fried chicken we will probably never know but the earliest known dish for crispy fried chicken in English is hidden away in one of the most prominent culinary books of the 18th century by Hannah Glasse named The Art of culinary Made Plain and Easy.
Her food had a strange name named “To Marinate Chickens” which was first in print in 1747. The book was a success in the UK and more importantly in the Usa Colonies.
Here is the original procedure...
Joint 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 the yolks of two eggsa little melted butter and nutmeg. Beat it all together well, dip yourchicken piecesin the batter and fry them in a good deal of pork lardwhich must boil first before you put your fowl in. Let them be of a fine browncolour and place them on your platter with a garnish of fried parsley. Serve with lemon slices and a high-quality gravy. These days, we have substituted the hog fat with Rapeseed oil which has 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 dish has journeyed worldwide and how different cultures have adopted their own versions.
