Themigrants from Scotlandfrom the southern states of Usa had a tradition of deep-frying poultry in lard and even before this they used to fry fritters in the middle ages. The Scrotish migrants would often work, live and eat with the African Americans and this lead to the Africans adding some additional flavorings to the food andproducingtheir own versionof crispy deep-fried chicken. These Africans later became thecaterersin many a Southern American household where deep-fried chicken became a universal staple. They also observed that it travelled well inwarmtemperatures before refrigeration was everyday so was enjoyed on almost an every day basis as they walked to the cotton fields to labor. Since, it has become the southern state's best optionfor just about any occasion.
This is said to have come from a gentleman called James Boswell who wrote arecordin 1773 called “journal of a Tour to the Hebrides”. In his diary he noted that at dinner the local people would eat fricassee of rooster which he went on to say “crispy fried chicken or something like that”. What he really heard was the Scottish dish Friars Chicken, not fried chicken but you could say that where it was first named.
The very true origins of crispy 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 famed cookery books of the 18th century by Hannah Glasse called The Art of culinary Made Plain and Easy. Her food had a strange name known as “To Marinate Chickens” which was first available in 1747. The book was a hit in the England and more importantly in the US Colonies.
Here is the original food...
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 thoroughly, dip yourfowlsin the batter and fry them in a first-rate deal of pork lardwhich must boil first before you put your fowl in. Let them be of light golden incolour and serve them on your plate with a garnish of fried parsley. Serve with lemon wedges and a excellent gravy. These days, we have substituted 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 procedure has went worldwide and how different cultures have adopted their own versions.
