Theimmigrants from Scotlandfrom the southern states of Usa had a tradition of deep-frying chicken in fat and even prior to this they used to fry fritters in the middle ages.
The migrants from Scotland would often work, live and eat with the African slaves and this lead to the Africans adding some supplementary seasoning to the dish andmakingtheir own presentationof Southern Fried Chicken.
These Africans later went on to become thefood preparersin many a Southern American home where crispy fried chicken became a common staple.
This is said to have come from a man named James Boswell who wrote arecordin 1773 called “log of a Tour to the Hebrides”.
In his record he noted that at dinner the locals would eat fricassee of rooster which he went on to say “crispy fried chicken or something like that”.
What he in reality heard was the Scottish dish Friars Chicken, not crispy fried chicken but you could say that where it was first named.They also found out that it lasted well well inwarmtemperatures before refrigeration was prevalent so was enjoyed on almost every day basis as they journeyed to the cotton fields to labor.
Since, it has become the region’s most suitable choicefor just about any occasion.
The very true origins of deep-fried chicken we will probably never know but the earliest known mix for deep-fried chicken in English is obscured in one of the most prominent cookery books of the 18th century by Hannah Glasse called The Art of cookery Made Plain and Easy.
Her food had a strange name known as “To Marinate Chickens” which was first released in 1747. The book was a hit in the UK and more importantly in the American Colonies.
Here is the original food...
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 very well, dip yourfowlsin 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 a fine browncolour and set them on your plate with a garnish of fried parsley. Serve with lemon slices and a excellent gravy. In the present day, we have substituted the hog fat with Rapeseed oil which has 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 travelled worldwide and how different cultures have adopted their own versions.
