TheScrotish migrantsfrom the southern states of Us had a custom of deep frying chicken in lard and even further back they used to fry fritters in the middle ages. The migrants from Scotland would often work, live and dine with the African slaves and this lead to the Africans adding some extra seasonings to the formula anddevelopingtheir own interpretationof crispy deep-fried chicken. These Africans later went on to become thecooksin many a Southern American home where fried chicken became a universal staple. They also found out that it lasted well well inhottemperatures prior to refrigeration was common so was enjoyed on almost a daily basis as they journeyed to the cotton fields to labor. Since, it has become the southern state's preferred choicefor just about any occasion.
This is said to have come from a male known as James Boswell who wrote arecordin 1773 called “diary of a Tour to the Hebrides”. In his record he noted that at meals the locals would eat fricassee of rooster which he went on to say “crispy deep-fried chicken or something like that”. What he actually 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 fried chicken we will probably never know but the earliest known process for crispy fried chicken in English is stashed in one of the most well-known cookery books of the 18th century by Hannah Glasse called The Art of culinary Made Plain and Easy. Her food had a strange name named “To Marinate Chickens” which was first released in 1747. The book was a hit in the United kingdom and more importantly in the American Colonies.
Here is the original formula...
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 the yolks of two eggsa little melted butter and nutmeg. Beat it all together well, dip yourfowlsin the batter and fry them in a first-rate deal of pork shorteningwhich must boil first before you put your fowl in. Let them be of golden incolour and serve them on your dish with a garnish of fried parsley. Serve with lemon wedges and a first-rate gravy. Now, we have substituted 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 journeyed worldwide and how different cultures have adopted their own versions.
