Theimmigrants from Scotlandfrom the southern states of Usa had a custom of deep-frying poultry in lard and even further back they used to fry fritters in the middle ages. The Scottish immigrants would often labor, live and eat with the indentured Africans and this lead to the Africans adding some extra flavorings to the formula andcreatingtheir own presentationof fried chicken. These Africans later went on to become thecooksin many a Southern American family where fried chicken became a ordinary staple. They also observed that it transported well inhotclimatic conditions prior to refrigeration was everyday so was consumed on almost a daily basis as they journeyed to the cotton fields to work. Since, it has become the region’s best choicefor just about any occasion.
This is said to have come from a fellow called James Boswell who wrote ajournalin 1773 called “journal of a Tour to the Hebrides”. In his log he noted that at dinner the locals would eat fricassee of capon which he went on to say “crispy deep-fried chicken or something like that”. What he in fact 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 deep-fried chicken we will probably never know but the earliest known procedure for crispy deep-fried chicken in English is stashed in one of the most famous cookery books of the 18th century by Hannah Glasse called The Art of culinary Made Plain and Easy. Her process had a strange name named “To Marinate Chickens” which was first published in 1747. The book was a hit in the United kingdom and more importantly in the Usa Colonies.
Here is the original dish...
Joint two chickens into quarters; marinate 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 deal of hogs lardwhich must boil first before you put your fowl in. Let them be of a fine browncolour and serve them on your bowl with a garnish of fried parsley. Serve with lemons and a good quality gravy. Now, we have substituted 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 dish has journeyed worldwide and how different cultures have adopted their own versions.
