Themigrants from Scotlandfrom the southern states of Usa had a custom of deep-frying chicken in fat and even prior to this they used to fry fritters in the middle ages. The immigrants from Scotland would often labor, live and eat with the African slaves and this lead to the Africans adding some other spices to the formula anddevelopingtheir own presentationof crispy fried chicken. These Africans later evolved to be thecooksin many a Southern American home where deep-fried chicken became a ordinary staple.
They also learned that it travelled well inwarmclimate in the times before refrigeration was prevalent so was eaten on almost a daily basis as they walked to the cotton fields to labor. Since then it has become the south's most suitable choicefor just about any occasion.
This is said to have come from a gentleman named James Boswell who wrote arecordin 1773 named “record of a Tour to the Hebrides”. In his diary he noted that at an evening meal the local folks would eat fricassee of chicken which he went on to say “crispy fried chicken or something like that”. What he in actuality heard was the Scottish dish Friars Chicken, not crispy deep-fried chicken but you could say that where it was first named.
The very true origins of crispy fried chicken we will probably never know but the earliest known dish for crispy fried chicken in English is stashed in one of the most notable culinary books of the 18th century by Hannah Glasse known as The Art of cookery Made Plain and Easy. Her mix had a strange name known as “To Marinate Chickens” which was first available in 1747. The book was a hit in the United kingdom and more importantly in the American Colonies.
Here is the original recipe...
Joint 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 2 eeg yolksa little melted butter and nutmeg. Beat it all together well, dip yourchicken piecesin the batter and fry them in a excellent deal of pork shorteningwhich must boil first before you put your fowl in. Let them be of golden incolour and serve them on your platter with a garnish of fried parsley. Serve with lemon slices and a high-quality gravy. Today, we have exchanged 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 recipe has walked worldwide and how different cultures have adopted their own versions.
