TheScottish immigrantsfrom the southern states of Us had a tradition of deep frying chicken in lard 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 indentured Africans and this lead to the Africans adding some more seasonings to the process anddevelopingtheir own interpretationof deep-fried chicken. These Africans later went on to become thecooksin many a Southern American family where crispy fried chicken became a common staple.
They also learned that it travelled well inwarmweather prior to refrigeration was prevalent so was consumed on almost an every day 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 known as James Boswell who wrote ajournalin 1773 called “journal 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 “deep-fried chicken or something like that”. What he in actual fact heard was the Scottish dish Friars Chicken, not 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 mix for fried chicken in English is hidden away in one of the most well-known cooking books of the 18th century by Hannah Glasse known as The Art of cookery Made Plain and Easy. Her food had a strange name known as “To Marinate Chickens” which was first published in 1747. The book was a hit in the United kingdom and more importantly in the American Colonies.
Here is the original formula...
Joint 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 the yolks of two eggsa 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 a fine browncolour and serve them on your plate with a garnish of fried parsley. Serve with lemons and a first-class gravy. Presently, we have swapped out 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 dish has travelled worldwide and how different cultures have adopted their own versions.
