TheScrotish migrantsfrom the southern states of Us had a custom of deep frying chicken in fat and even prior to this they used to fry fritters in the middle ages.
The Scottish immigrants would often work, live and eat with the indentured Africans and this lead to the Africans adding some more seasoning to the procedure andbuildingtheir own versionof crispy fried chicken.
These Africans later became thecooksin many a Southern American family where crispy deep-fried chicken became a ordinary staple.
This is said to have come from a male named James Boswell who wrote adiaryin 1773 named “record of a Tour to the Hebrides”.
In his journal he noted that at dinner the local folks would eat fricassee of chicken which he went on to say “deep-fried chicken or something like that”.
What he in fact heard was the Scottish dish Friars Chicken, not crispy deep-fried chicken but you could say that where it was first named.They also found that it transported well inwarmweather conditions prior to refrigeration was everyday so was enjoyed on almost a daily basis as they travelled to the cotton fields to work.
Since then it has become the southern state's best choicefor just about any occasion.
The very true origins of crispy deep-fried chicken we will probably never know but the earliest known dish for fried chicken in English is hidden away in one of the most well-known cooking books of the 18th century by Hannah Glasse called The Art of culinary Made Plain and Easy.
Her mix had a strange name known as “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 process...
Cut two chickens into quarters; 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 eggsa little melted butter and nutmeg. Beat it all together thoroughly, dip yourfowlsin the batter and fry them in a high-quality deal of hogs lardwhich must boil first before you put your fowl in. Let them be of golden incolour and place them on your dish with a garnish of fried parsley. Serve with lemon wedges and a fine gravy. In the present day, we have replaced 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 journeyed worldwide and how different cultures have adopted their own versions.
