TheScottish immigrantsfrom the southern states of Us had a tradition of deep frying chicken pieces in lard and even previously they used to fry fritters in the middle ages. The migrants from Scotland would often labor, live and dine with the African slaves and this lead to the Africans adding some more flavorings to the mix andmakingtheir own versionof fried chicken. These Africans later became thecooksin many a Southern American household where crispy fried chicken became a frequent staple. They also found that it transported well inhotweather prior to refrigeration was common so was enjoyed on almost every day basis as they went to the cotton fields to work. Since then it has become the region’s most suitable choicefor just about any occasion.
This is said to have come from a guy named James Boswell who wrote alogin 1773 known as “diary of a Tour to the Hebrides”. In his diary 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 really 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 fried chicken we will probably never know but the earliest known mix for deep-fried chicken in English is stashed in one of the most celebrated culinary books of the 18th century by Hannah Glasse named The Art of cooking Made Plain and Easy. Her formula had a strange name called “To Marinate Chickens” which was first available in 1747. The book was a hit in the United kingdom and more importantly in the US 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 the yolks of two eggssome melted butter and nutmeg. Beat it all together thoroughly, dip yourchicken piecesin the batter and fry them in a high-quality deal of pork shorteningwhich must boil first before you put your fowl in. Let them be of golden incolour and serve them on your dish with a garnish of fried parsley. Serve with cut lemon and a good quality gravy. Presently, we have substituted 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 formula has walked worldwide and how different cultures have adopted their own versions.
