TheScottish immigrantsfrom the southern states of America had a custom of deep-frying chicken in fat and even before this they used to fry fritters in the middle ages. The migrants from Scotland would often labor, live and dine with the African Americans and this lead to the Africans adding some additional seasoning to the process andgeneratingtheir own interpretationof crispy fried chicken. These Africans later went on to become thecooksin many a Southern American household where fried chicken became a regular staple. They also found out that it travelled well inhotconditions before refrigeration was everyday so was eaten on almost every day basis as they journeyed to the cotton fields to labor. Since, it has become the region’s best choicefor just about any occasion.
This is said to have come from a man called James Boswell who wrote adiaryin 1773 called “log of a Tour to the Hebrides”. In his journal he noted that at an evening meal the local people would eat fricassee of pullet which he went on to say “crispy deep-fried chicken or something like that”. What he actually heard was the Scottish dish Friars Chicken, not crispy deep-fried chicken but you could say that where it was first named.
The very true origins of crispy deep-fried chicken we will probably never know but the earliest known procedure for deep-fried chicken in English is hidden away in one of the most prominent cooking books of the 18th century by Hannah Glasse known as The Art of cookery Made Plain and Easy. Her dish had a strange name named “To Marinate Chickens” which was first in print in 1747. The book was a success in the United kingdom and more importantly in the Usa Colonies.
Here is the original mix...
Cut two chickens into pieces; 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 yolkssome melted butter and nutmeg. Beat it all together very well, 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 light golden incolour and place them on your bowl with a garnish of fried parsley. Serve with lemon wedges and a fine gravy. Nowadays, we have swapped out 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 dish has went worldwide and how different cultures have adopted their own versions.
