Theimmigrants from Scotlandfrom the southern states of America had a custom of deep frying chicken pieces in lard and even prior to this they used to fry fritters in the middle ages. The immigrants from Scotland would often work, live and eat with the African slaves and this lead to the Africans adding some other seasoning to the procedure andgeneratingtheir own versionof deep-fried chicken. These Africans later evolved to be thefood preparersin many a Southern American family where crispy deep-fried chicken became a common staple.
They also learned that it transported well inwarmweather conditions prior to refrigeration was everyday so was consumed on almost every day basis as they went to the cotton fields to work. Since, it has become the south's most suitable choicefor just about any occasion.
This is said to have come from a man called James Boswell who wrote adiaryin 1773 known as “record of a Tour to the Hebrides”. In his journal he noted that at dinner the locals would eat fricassee of hen which he went on to say “fried chicken or something like that”. What he in actuality heard was the Scottish dish Friars Chicken, not deep-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 dish for deep-fried chicken in English is stashed in one of the most prominent cookery books of the 18th century by Hannah Glasse known as The Art of cooking Made Plain and Easy. Her dish had a strange name named “To Marinate Chickens” which was first published in 1747. The book was a hit in the England and more importantly in the American Colonies.
Here is the original process...
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 yolkssome melted butter and nutmeg. Beat it all together very well, dip yourchicken piecesin the batter and fry them in a good quality deal of pork lardwhich must boil first before you put your fowl in. Let them be of bronze incolour and set them on your dish with a garnish of fried parsley. Serve with lemon slices and a first-class gravy. Today, 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 recipe has walked worldwide and how different cultures have adopted their own versions.
