TheScrotish migrantsfrom the southern states of America had a tradition of deep frying chicken in lard and even prior to this they used to fry fritters in the middle ages. The migrants from Scotland would often labor, live and dine with the African slaves and this lead to the Africans adding some supplementary spices to the recipe andcreatingtheir own interpretationof deep-fried chicken. These Africans later went on to become thecaterersin many a Southern American home where crispy deep-fried chicken became a frequent staple. They also observed that it journeyed well inhotweather prior to refrigeration was seen everyday so was consumed on almost an every day basis as they walked to the cotton fields to labor. Since then it has become the southern state's best optionfor just about any occasion.
This is said to have come from a man called James Boswell who wrote arecordin 1773 called “record of a Tour to the Hebrides”. In his diary he noted that at an evening meal the local people would eat fricassee of poultry which he went on to say “deep-fried chicken or something like that”. What he in actuality 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 fried chicken we will probably never know but the earliest known process for fried chicken in English is stashed in one of the most renowned cooking books of the 18th century by Hannah Glasse called The Art of cooking Made Plain and Easy. Her dish had a strange name called “To Marinate Chickens” which was first in print in 1747. The book was a hit in the UK and more importantly in the Usa Colonies.
Here is the original procedure...
Joint two chickens into quarters; 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 eggssome melted butter and nutmeg. Beat it all together well, dip yourchicken piecesin the batter and fry them in a good deal of hogs lardwhich must boil first before you put your fowl in. Let them be of bronze incolour and arrange them on your dish with a garnish of fried parsley. Serve with lemon wedges and a good quality gravy. Presently, we have changed 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 travelled worldwide and how different cultures have adopted their own versions.
