Themigrants from Scotlandfrom the southern states of Us had a tradition of deep frying chicken pieces in fat and even prior to this they used to fry fritters in the middle ages.
The Scrotish migrants would often labor, live and dine with the African slaves and this lead to the Africans adding some new flavorings to the dish andgeneratingtheir own interpretationof crispy deep-fried chicken.
These Africans later evolved to be thecooksin many a Southern American household where crispy fried chicken became a prevalent staple.
This is said to have come from a fellow known as James Boswell who wrote ajournalin 1773 called “log of a Tour to the Hebrides”.
In his log he noted that at mealtime the local people would eat fricassee of rooster which he went on to say “fried chicken or something like that”.
What he in actual fact heard was the Scottish dish Friars Chicken, not crispy fried chicken but you could say that where it was first named.They also found that it transported well inwarmtemperatures prior to refrigeration was everyday so was enjoyed on almost an every day basis as they walked to the cotton fields to work.
Since then it has become the southern state's most suitable choicefor just about any occasion.
The very true origins of crispy deep-fried chicken we will probably never know but the earliest known dish for crispy deep-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 cooking Made Plain and Easy.
Her food 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 American Colonies.
Here is the original food...
Joint two chickens into pieces; 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 yolkssome melted butter and nutmeg. Beat it all together thoroughly, dip yourchicken piecesin the batter and fry them in a first-rate deal of pork shorteningwhich must boil first before you put your fowl in. Let them be of golden incolour and set them on your dish 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 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 walked worldwide and how different cultures have adopted their own versions.
