TheScrotish migrantsfrom the southern states of Us had a tradition of deep-frying poultry in lard and even before this they used to fry fritters in the middle ages. The Scrotish migrants would often labor, live and eat with the African slaves and this lead to the Africans adding some more flavorings to the recipe andmakingtheir own presentationof crispy fried chicken. These Africans later went on to become thecaterersin many a Southern American household where fried chicken became a prevalent staple.
They also found that it journeyed well inwarmweather conditions prior to refrigeration was common so was eaten on almost an every day basis as they journeyed to the cotton fields to labor. Since then it has become the region’s most suitable choicefor just about any occasion.
This is said to have come from a guy named James Boswell who wrote alogin 1773 named “log of a Tour to the Hebrides”. In his diary he noted that at dinner the locals would eat fricassee of pullet which he went on to say “crispy fried chicken or something like that”. What he in actual fact 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 deep-fried chicken we will probably never know but the earliest known formula for crispy deep-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 mix had a strange name named “To Marinate Chickens” which was first in print in 1747. The book was a hit in the UK and more importantly in the US Colonies.
Here is the original food...
Cut two chickens into pieces; 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 thoroughly, dip yourchicken piecesin the batter and fry them in a fine deal of pork shorteningwhich must boil first before you put your fowl in. Let them be of light golden incolour and serve them on your bowl with a garnish of fried parsley. Serve with lemons and a excellent gravy. These days, 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 journeyed worldwide and how different cultures have adopted their own versions.
