Themigrants from Scotlandfrom the southern states of Us had a custom of deep frying chicken in fat and even before this they used to fry fritters in the middle ages.
The immigrants from Scotland would often labor, live and eat with the African Americans and this lead to the Africans adding some more seasonings to the dish andproducingtheir own versionof Southern Fried Chicken.
These Africans later evolved to be thechefsin many a Southern American family where crispy deep-fried chicken became a common staple.
This is said to have come from a fellow named James Boswell who wrote alogin 1773 named “diary of a Tour to the Hebrides”.
In his diary he noted that at mealtime the local folks would eat fricassee of pullet which he went on to say “fried chicken or something like that”.
What he really heard was the Scottish dish Friars Chicken, not deep-fried chicken but you could say that where it was first named.They also found out that it lasted well well inhotclimatic conditions prior to refrigeration was prevalent so was eaten on almost a daily basis as they walked to the cotton fields to labor.
Since, it has become the south's go-tofor just about any occasion.
The very true origins of fried chicken we will probably never know but the earliest known process for crispy fried chicken in English is stashed in one of the most eminent cooking books of the 18th century by Hannah Glasse called The Art of cookery Made Plain and Easy.
Her formula had a strange name named “To Marinate Chickens” which was first in print in 1747. The book was a hit in the England and more importantly in the Usa Colonies.
Here is the original dish...
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 2 eeg yolkssome melted butter and nutmeg. Beat it all together thoroughly, dip yourfowlsin 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 golden incolour and place them on your plate with a garnish of fried parsley. Serve with lemon wedges and a excellent gravy. Nowadays, 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 dish has walked worldwide and how different cultures have adopted their own versions.
