Themigrants from Scotlandfrom the southern states of Usa had a custom of deep frying poultry in lard and even before this they used to fry fritters in the middle ages. The migrants from Scotland would often labor, live and eat with the indentured Africans and this lead to the Africans adding some new seasoning to the mix andproducingtheir own presentationof crispy fried chicken. These Africans later evolved to be thecaterersin many a Southern American house where fried chicken became a frequent staple.
They also learned that it lasted well well inhotconditions before refrigeration was common so was consumed on almost every day basis as they travelled to the cotton fields to work. Since then it has become the region’s preferred choicefor just about any occasion.
This is said to have come from a male known as James Boswell who wrote adiaryin 1773 called “record of a Tour to the Hebrides”. In his log he noted that at meals the local folks would eat fricassee of pullet which he went on to say “crispy deep-fried chicken or something like that”. What he in reality heard was the Scottish dish Friars Chicken, not crispy 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 deep-fried chicken in English is obscured in one of the most well-known culinary books of the 18th century by Hannah Glasse known as The Art of cooking Made Plain and Easy. Her recipe had a strange name called “To Marinate Chickens” which was first available in 1747. The book was a hit in the England and more importantly in the Usa Colonies.
Here is the original food...
Joint two chickens into pieces; lay 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 eggssome melted butter and nutmeg. Beat it all together thoroughly, dip yourchicken piecesin the batter and fry them in a superior deal of pork shorteningwhich must boil first before you put your fowl in. Let them be of golden incolour and arrange them on your bowl with a garnish of fried parsley. Serve with lemon slices and a excellent gravy. In the present day, we have swapped out the hog fat with Rapeseed oil which contains 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 process has walked worldwide and how different cultures have adopted their own versions.
