Themigrants from Scotlandfrom the southern states of America had a custom of deep frying chicken pieces in fat and even further back they used to fry fritters in the middle ages.
The Scrotish migrants would often work, live and dine with the African Americans and this lead to the Africans adding some supplementary seasoning to the dish anddevelopingtheir own presentationof deep-fried chicken.
These Africans later evolved to be thecooksin many a Southern American house where crispy fried chicken became a universal staple.
This is said to have come from a fellow known as James Boswell who wrote arecordin 1773 called “journal of a Tour to the Hebrides”.
In his diary he noted that at an evening meal the locals would eat fricassee of fowl 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 observed that it lasted well well inwarmclimate before refrigeration was everyday so was consumed on almost a daily basis as they walked to the cotton fields to work.
Since, it has become the region’s best optionfor just about any occasion.
The very true origins of deep-fried chicken we will probably never know but the earliest known procedure for crispy deep-fried chicken in English is stashed in one of the most recognized culinary books of the 18th century by Hannah Glasse called The Art of cooking Made Plain and Easy.
Her procedure 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 recipe...
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 2 eeg yolksa little melted butter and nutmeg. Beat it all together very well, dip yourfowlsin 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 a fine browncolour and serve them on your dish with a garnish of fried parsley. Serve with lemons and a good quality gravy. In the present day, we have replaced 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 procedure has went worldwide and how different cultures have adopted their own versions.
