TheScrotish migrantsfrom the southern states of Us had a custom of deep frying chicken pieces in fat and even previously they used to fry fritters in the middle ages.
The migrants from Scotland would often work, live and dine with the African Americans and this lead to the Africans adding some other seasoning to the food andbuildingtheir own interpretationof Southern Fried Chicken.
These Africans later became thechefsin many a Southern American family where fried chicken became a regular staple.
This is said to have come from a fellow known as James Boswell who wrote ajournalin 1773 named “diary of a Tour to the Hebrides”.
In his journal he noted that at mealtime the local people would eat fricassee of chicken which he went on to say “crispy deep-fried chicken or something like that”.
What he in fact heard was the Scottish dish Friars Chicken, not crispy deep-fried chicken but you could say that where it was first named.They also found out that it travelled well inwarmweather in the times before refrigeration was prevalent so was enjoyed on almost an every day basis as they travelled to the cotton fields to labor.
Since, it has become the south's top choicefor just about any occasion.
The very true origins of fried chicken we will probably never know but the earliest known process for fried chicken in English is obscured in one of the most renowned cooking books of the 18th century by Hannah Glasse known as The Art of cookery Made Plain and Easy.
Her mix had a strange name named “To Marinate Chickens” which was first published in 1747. The book was a success in the England and more importantly in the Usa Colonies.
Here is the original recipe...
Joint two chickens into pieces; 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 well, dip yourchicken piecesin the batter and fry them in a superior deal of hogs lardwhich must boil first before you put your fowl in. Let them be of light golden incolour and set them on your dish with a garnish of fried parsley. Serve with cut lemon and a fine gravy. Nowadays, 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 formula has went worldwide and how different cultures have adopted their own versions.
