Themigrants from Scotlandfrom the southern states of Us had a custom of deep-frying chicken pieces in lard and even previously they used to fry fritters in the middle ages.
The migrants from Scotland would often labor, live and eat with the indentured Africans and this lead to the Africans adding some additional seasonings to the dish andgeneratingtheir own versionof crispy fried chicken.
These Africans later went on to become thecaterersin many a Southern American home where deep-fried chicken became a common staple.
This is said to have come from a fellow known as James Boswell who wrote ajournalin 1773 known as “journal of a Tour to the Hebrides”.
In his journal he noted that at dinner the locals would eat fricassee of poultry 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 discovered that it transported well inhotclimate prior to refrigeration was everyday so was consumed on almost an every day basis as they went to the cotton fields to labor.
Since, it has become the south's most suitable choicefor just about any occasion.
The very true origins of deep-fried chicken we will probably never know but the earliest known recipe for crispy fried chicken in English is hidden away in one of the most celebrated cookery books of the 18th century by Hannah Glasse named The Art of cookery Made Plain and Easy.
Her food had a strange name known as “To Marinate Chickens” which was first published in 1747. The book was a hit in the England and more importantly in the US Colonies.
Here is the original recipe...
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 well, dip yourchicken piecesin the batter and fry them in a good quality deal of pork shorteningwhich must boil first before you put your fowl in. Let them be of golden incolour and set them on your bowl with a garnish of fried parsley. Serve with lemon wedges and a high-quality gravy. In the present day, 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.
