TheScrotish migrantsfrom the southern states of Us had a custom of deep frying chicken pieces in fat and even prior to this they used to fry fritters in the middle ages. The Scrotish migrants would often work, live and eat with the African slaves and this lead to the Africans adding some additional seasonings to the formula andgeneratingtheir own versionof crispy fried chicken. These Africans later became thefood preparersin many a Southern American family where fried chicken became a prevalent staple. They also found out that it transported well inwarmclimate before refrigeration was everyday so was consumed on almost a daily basis as they walked 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 guy named James Boswell who wrote alogin 1773 called “log of a Tour to the Hebrides”. In his record he noted that at an evening meal the local people would eat fricassee of pullet which he went on to say “deep-fried chicken or something like that”. What he in actual fact 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 procedure for fried chicken in English is obscured in one of the most well-known culinary books of the 18th century by Hannah Glasse known as The Art of cookery Made Plain and Easy. Her dish had a strange name called “To Marinate Chickens” which was first released in 1747. The book was a success in the United kingdom and more importantly in the Usa Colonies.
Here is the original formula...
Cut two chickens into pieces; steep 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 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 platter with a garnish of fried parsley. Serve with lemons and a fine gravy. Today, we have replaced 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 recipe has travelled worldwide and how different cultures have adopted their own versions.
