TheScrotish migrantsfrom the southern states of Us had a custom of deep-frying chicken pieces in fat and even before this 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 flavorings to the food anddevelopingtheir own interpretationof fried chicken. These Africans later became thecooksin many a Southern American house where deep-fried chicken became a common staple.
They also discovered that it lasted well well inhottemperatures before refrigeration was common so was eaten on almost an every day basis as they went to the cotton fields to labor. Since, it has become the region’s best choicefor just about any occasion.
This is said to have come from a fellow known as James Boswell who wrote adiaryin 1773 known as “journal of a Tour to the Hebrides”. In his diary he noted that at meals the local people would eat fricassee of hen which he went on to say “fried chicken or something like that”. What he in fact heard was the Scottish dish Friars Chicken, not 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 formula for crispy fried chicken in English is stashed in one of the most celebrated cookery books of the 18th century by Hannah Glasse called The Art of cookery Made Plain and Easy. Her recipe had a strange name known as “To Marinate Chickens” which was first in print in 1747. The book was a hit in the England and more importantly in the Usa Colonies.
Here is the original dish...
Cut two chickens into quarters; 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 yolkssome melted butter and nutmeg. Beat it all together well, dip yourchicken piecesin the batter and fry them in a superior deal of pork lardwhich must boil first before you put your fowl in. Let them be of bronze incolour and serve them on your bowl with a garnish of fried parsley. Serve with cut lemon and a fine gravy. Today, we have changed 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 procedure has walked worldwide and how different cultures have adopted their own versions.
