Themigrants from Scotlandfrom the southern states of America had a custom of deep frying poultry in lard and even further back they used to fry fritters in the middle ages.
The Scrotish migrants would often work, live and dine with the African Americans and this lead to the Africans adding some more seasonings to the mix andproducingtheir own presentationof Southern Fried Chicken.
These Africans later went on to become thefood preparersin many a Southern American home where fried chicken became a common staple.
This is said to have come from a fellow known as James Boswell who wrote adiaryin 1773 called “journal of a Tour to the Hebrides”.
In his journal he noted that at an evening meal the local people would eat fricassee of hen which he went on to say “crispy fried chicken or something like that”.
What he in fact heard was the Scottish dish Friars Chicken, not deep-fried chicken but you could say that where it was first named.They also found that it transported well inwarmconditions in the times before refrigeration was commonplace so was enjoyed on almost an every day basis as they went to the cotton fields to labor.
Since, it has become the region’s preferred choicefor just about any occasion.
The very true origins of crispy deep-fried chicken we will probably never know but the earliest known process for crispy fried chicken in English is hidden away in one of the most renowned cookery books of the 18th century by Hannah Glasse known as The Art of culinary 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 England and more importantly in the Usa Colonies.
Here is the original recipe...
Joint 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 well, dip yourchicken piecesin the batter and fry them in a superior deal of pork shorteningwhich must boil first before you put your fowl in. Let them be of light golden incolour and lay them on your dish with a garnish of fried parsley. Serve with lemon slices and a superior gravy. Nowadays, we have substituted the hog fat with Rapeseed oil which contains 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 went worldwide and how different cultures have adopted their own versions.
