TheScrotish migrantsfrom the southern states of Us had a custom of deep frying chicken in lard and even further back 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 new seasonings to the mix anddevelopingtheir own presentationof fried chicken. These Africans later became thefood preparersin many a Southern American home where crispy deep-fried chicken became a prevalent staple. They also learned that it lasted well well inwarmconditions before refrigeration was prevalent so was eaten on almost an every day basis as they journeyed to the cotton fields to labor. Since then it has become the region’s best choicefor just about any occasion.
This is said to have come from a male named James Boswell who wrote adiaryin 1773 known as “journal of a Tour to the Hebrides”. In his journal he noted that at mealtime the locals would eat fricassee of hen which he went on to say “crispy deep-fried chicken or something like that”. What he actually 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 fried chicken we will probably never know but the earliest known food for crispy fried chicken in English is stashed in one of the most well-known culinary books of the 18th century by Hannah Glasse called The Art of cookery Made Plain and Easy. Her formula had a strange name known as “To Marinate Chickens” which was first published in 1747. The book was a hit in the UK and more importantly in the Usa Colonies.
Here is the original dish...
Joint 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 2 eeg yolksa little melted butter and nutmeg. Beat it all together thoroughly, dip yourfowlsin the batter and fry them in a good quality deal of pork lardwhich must boil first before you put your fowl in. Let them be of a fine browncolour and place them on your dish with a garnish of fried parsley. Serve with lemon slices and a fine gravy. Presently, 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 food has travelled worldwide and how different cultures have adopted their own versions.
