TheScrotish migrantsfrom the southern states of Us had a tradition of deep frying chicken pieces in fat and even further back they used to fry fritters in the middle ages. The Scrotish migrants would often work, live and eat with the African Americans and this lead to the Africans adding some new flavorings to the formula andgeneratingtheir own versionof fried chicken. These Africans later went on to become thefood preparersin many a Southern American family where fried chicken became a ordinary staple. They also observed that it travelled well inhotweather conditions before refrigeration was common so was consumed on almost an every day basis as they went to the cotton fields to work. Since, it has become the south's go-tofor just about any occasion.
This is said to have come from a man known as James Boswell who wrote arecordin 1773 called “log of a Tour to the Hebrides”. In his journal he noted that at mealtime the local folks would eat fricassee of poultry which he went on to say “crispy fried chicken or something like that”. What he in fact 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 crispy fried chicken we will probably never know but the earliest known mix for crispy fried chicken in English is obscured in one of the most eminent culinary books of the 18th century by Hannah Glasse called The Art of cooking Made Plain and Easy. Her formula had a strange name known as “To Marinate Chickens” which was first available in 1747. The book was a success in the United kingdom and more importantly in the Usa Colonies.
Here is the original process...
Cut 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 2 eeg yolkssome melted butter and nutmeg. Beat it all together well, dip yourchicken piecesin the batter and fry them in a good quality deal of hogs lardwhich 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 lemon wedges and a fine gravy. Now, we have exchanged 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 went worldwide and how different cultures have adopted their own versions.
