TheScrotish migrantsfrom the southern states of Us had a custom of deep-frying poultry in fat and even prior to this they used to fry fritters in the middle ages. The immigrants from Scotland would often labor, live and eat with the African Americans and this lead to the Africans adding some extra spices to the food anddevelopingtheir own presentationof crispy fried chicken. These Africans later went on to become thefood preparersin many a Southern American house where deep-fried chicken became a universal staple.
They also observed that it travelled well inhotweather in the times before refrigeration was everyday so was eaten on almost a daily basis as they went to the cotton fields to work. Since, it has become the south's preferred choicefor just about any occasion.
This is said to have come from a guy called James Boswell who wrote ajournalin 1773 known as “log of a Tour to the Hebrides”. In his diary he noted that at dinner the local people would eat fricassee of pullet which he went on to say “crispy fried chicken or something like that”. What he in reality 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 crispy fried chicken we will probably never know but the earliest known procedure for deep-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 culinary Made Plain and Easy. Her mix had a strange name named “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 formula...
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 eggsa little melted butter and nutmeg. Beat it all together very well, dip yourfowlsin the batter and fry them in a first-rate deal of hogs lardwhich must boil first before you put your fowl in. Let them be of bronze incolour and place them on your bowl with a garnish of fried parsley. Serve with lemon wedges and a first-rate gravy. Today, we have swapped out 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 dish has walked worldwide and how different cultures have adopted their own versions.
