Themigrants from Scotlandfrom the southern states of Us had a tradition of deep-frying poultry in fat and even previously they used to fry fritters in the middle ages. The immigrants from Scotland would often work, live and eat with the African slaves and this lead to the Africans adding some new spices to the recipe andcreatingtheir own interpretationof deep-fried chicken. These Africans later became thefood preparersin many a Southern American house where fried chicken became a frequent staple.
They also found out that it travelled well inwarmtemperatures before refrigeration was commonplace so was enjoyed on almost every day basis as they travelled to the cotton fields to labor. Since then it has become the southern state's go-tofor just about any occasion.
This is said to have come from a gentleman named James Boswell who wrote ajournalin 1773 called “log of a Tour to the Hebrides”. In his journal he noted that at dinner the local folks would eat fricassee of chicken which he went on to say “fried chicken or something like that”. What he really heard was the Scottish dish Friars Chicken, not 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 food for fried chicken in English is hidden away in one of the most notable cookery books of the 18th century by Hannah Glasse known as The Art of cookery Made Plain and Easy. Her dish had a strange name called “To Marinate Chickens” which was first published in 1747. The book was a hit in the UK and more importantly in the US Colonies.
Here is the original formula...
Cut 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 yolksa little melted butter and nutmeg. Beat it all together very well, dip yourchicken piecesin the batter and fry them in a first-rate deal of hogs lardwhich must boil first before you put your fowl in. Let them be of light golden incolour and serve them on your dish with a garnish of fried parsley. Serve with lemon wedges and a high-quality gravy. Presently, we have exchanged 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 went worldwide and how different cultures have adopted their own versions.
