TheScrotish migrantsfrom 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 Scrotish migrants would often work, live and dine with the African Americans and this lead to the Africans adding some more seasoning to the recipe anddevelopingtheir own presentationof crispy fried chicken. These Africans later became thefood preparersin many a Southern American house where deep-fried chicken became a regular staple. They also found out that it transported well inwarmconditions before refrigeration was common so was consumed on almost a daily basis as they walked to the cotton fields to labor. Since then it has become the southern state's preferred choicefor just about any occasion.
This is said to have come from a man called James Boswell who wrote arecordin 1773 called “record of a Tour to the Hebrides”. In his diary he noted that at an evening meal the local folks would eat fricassee of hen which he went on to say “deep-fried chicken or something like that”. What he in reality 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 crispy fried chicken we will probably never know but the earliest known dish for fried chicken in English is stashed in one of the most well-known cookery books of the 18th century by Hannah Glasse called The Art of cookery Made Plain and Easy. Her dish had a strange name named “To Marinate Chickens” which was first available in 1747. The book was a success in the UK and more importantly in the American Colonies.
Here is the original recipe...
Joint two chickens into quarters; 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 yolksa little melted butter and nutmeg. Beat it all together thoroughly, 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 light golden incolour and serve them on your platter with a garnish of fried parsley. Serve with lemon slices and a good quality gravy. Today, 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 recipe has walked worldwide and how different cultures have adopted their own versions.
