TheScrotish migrantsfrom the southern states of Usa had a custom of deep frying chicken in fat and even previously they used to fry fritters in the middle ages. The migrants from Scotland would often labor, live and eat with the African Americans and this lead to the Africans adding some additional flavorings to the procedure andbuildingtheir own versionof crispy deep-fried chicken. These Africans later evolved to be thefood preparersin many a Southern American household where deep-fried chicken became a regular staple. They also learned that it transported well inwarmclimatic conditions in the times before refrigeration was commonplace so was enjoyed on almost a daily basis as they walked to the cotton fields to work. Since then it has become the southern state's best optionfor just about any occasion.
This is said to have come from a man named James Boswell who wrote ajournalin 1773 known as “journal of a Tour to the Hebrides”. In his journal he noted that at an evening meal the local folks would eat fricassee of pullet 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 fried chicken but you could say that where it was first named.
The very true origins of deep-fried chicken we will probably never know but the earliest known recipe for fried chicken in English is obscured in one of the most prominent culinary books of the 18th century by Hannah Glasse known as The Art of cookery Made Plain and Easy. Her process had a strange name known as “To Marinate Chickens” which was first in print in 1747. The book was a success in the England and more importantly in the American Colonies.
Here is the original recipe...
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 2 eeg yolksa little melted butter and nutmeg. Beat it all together thoroughly, dip yourfowlsin the batter and fry them in a high-quality deal of pork shorteningwhich must boil first before you put your fowl in. Let them be of light golden incolour and lay them on your platter with a garnish of fried parsley. Serve with lemons and a high-quality gravy. Now, we have changed 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 mix has walked worldwide and how different cultures have adopted their own versions.
