TheScrotish migrantsfrom the southern states of Us had a custom of deep-frying chicken pieces in fat and even prior to this they used to fry fritters in the middle ages.
The Scottish immigrants would often labor, live and dine with the African Americans and this lead to the Africans adding some new spices to the food andproducingtheir own interpretationof crispy deep-fried chicken.
These Africans later evolved to be thecooksin many a Southern American family where deep-fried chicken became a common staple.
This is said to have come from a fellow known as James Boswell who wrote adiaryin 1773 named “diary of a Tour to the Hebrides”.
In his log he noted that at meals the locals would eat fricassee of capon 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.They also found that it lasted well well inwarmweather conditions in the times before refrigeration was commonplace so was enjoyed on almost a daily basis as they went to the cotton fields to labor.
Since, it has become the south's top choicefor just about any occasion.
The very true origins of fried chicken we will probably never know but the earliest known formula for crispy deep-fried chicken in English is stashed in one of the most recognized cooking books of the 18th century by Hannah Glasse named The Art of cookery Made Plain and Easy.
Her mix had a strange name known as “To Marinate Chickens” which was first published in 1747. The book was a success in the England and more importantly in the US Colonies.
Here is the original dish...
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 excellent 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 dish with a garnish of fried parsley. Serve with cut lemon and a high-quality gravy. Presently, we have exchanged 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 dish has walked worldwide and how different cultures have adopted their own versions.
