TheScottish immigrantsfrom the southern states of Us had a tradition of deep frying chicken in lard and even before this they used to fry fritters in the middle ages. The immigrants from Scotland would often work, live and dine with the African Americans and this lead to the Africans adding some other flavorings to the mix andbuildingtheir own versionof crispy fried chicken. These Africans later evolved to be thechefsin many a Southern American house where fried chicken became a frequent staple.
They also learned that it journeyed well inwarmweather conditions prior to refrigeration was common so was eaten on almost every day basis as they walked to the cotton fields to labor. Since then it has become the southern state's most suitable choicefor just about any occasion.
This is said to have come from a fellow called James Boswell who wrote ajournalin 1773 known as “record of a Tour to the Hebrides”. In his record he noted that at mealtime the locals would eat fricassee of poultry 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.
The very true origins of crispy deep-fried chicken we will probably never know but the earliest known procedure for crispy fried chicken in English is hidden away in one of the most famed culinary books of the 18th century by Hannah Glasse called The Art of cookery Made Plain and Easy. Her recipe had a strange name known as “To Marinate Chickens” which was first released in 1747. The book was a success in the UK and more importantly in the Usa Colonies.
Here is the original formula...
Cut two chickens into quarters; steep 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 very 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 golden incolour and lay them on your bowl with a garnish of fried parsley. Serve with lemons and a fine gravy. Now, we have swapped out 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 dish has went worldwide and how different cultures have adopted their own versions.
