TheScrotish migrantsfrom the southern states of Usa had a tradition 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 slaves and this lead to the Africans adding some new seasonings to the process andproducingtheir own versionof fried chicken. These Africans later went on to become thefood preparersin many a Southern American family where crispy deep-fried chicken became a regular staple. They also learned that it lasted well well inhottemperatures before refrigeration was commonplace so was eaten on almost every day basis as they went 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 gentleman named James Boswell who wrote ajournalin 1773 named “log of a Tour to the Hebrides”. In his diary he noted that at mealtime the local folks would eat fricassee of fowl which he went on to say “deep-fried chicken or something like that”. What he in actuality 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 dish for deep-fried chicken in English is stashed in one of the most well-known cooking 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 published in 1747. The book was a success in the England and more importantly in the US Colonies.
Here is the original food...
Cut two chickens into pieces; marinate 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 yolksa little melted butter and nutmeg. Beat it all together very well, dip yourfowlsin the batter and fry them in a fine deal of pork shorteningwhich must boil first before you put your fowl in. Let them be of light golden incolour and place them on your bowl with a garnish of fried parsley. Serve with lemon slices and a good quality 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 dish has journeyed worldwide and how different cultures have adopted their own versions.
