Themigrants from Scotlandfrom the southern states of America had a custom of deep frying chicken pieces in fat and even before this they used to fry fritters in the middle ages.
The migrants from Scotland would often work, live and eat with the indentured Africans and this lead to the Africans adding some more seasoning to the food anddevelopingtheir own interpretationof deep-fried chicken.
These Africans later went on to become thecaterersin many a Southern American house where crispy deep-fried chicken became a regular staple.
This is said to have come from a fellow called James Boswell who wrote alogin 1773 known as “log of a Tour to the Hebrides”.
In his journal he noted that at dinner the local folks would eat fricassee of hen which he went on to say “crispy deep-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.They also observed that it transported well inwarmclimate before refrigeration was common so was consumed on almost every day basis as they journeyed to the cotton fields to labor.
Since, it has become the southern state's preferred choicefor just about any occasion.
The very true origins of deep-fried chicken we will probably never know but the earliest known recipe for crispy fried chicken in English is stashed in one of the most renowned cooking books of the 18th century by Hannah Glasse named The Art of cookery Made Plain and Easy.
Her dish had a strange name known as “To Marinate Chickens” which was first available in 1747. The book was a success in the UK and more importantly in the US Colonies.
Here is the original recipe...
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 the yolks of two eggssome melted butter and nutmeg. Beat it all together very well, dip yourchicken piecesin the batter and fry them in a first-class deal of hogs lardwhich must boil first before you put your fowl in. Let them be of bronze incolour and arrange them on your platter with a garnish of fried parsley. Serve with lemon slices and a good gravy. Presently, we have changed 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 food has journeyed worldwide and how different cultures have adopted their own versions.
