TheScrotish migrantsfrom the southern states of America had a tradition of deep-frying poultry in fat and even previously 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 seasoning to the recipe andbuildingtheir own interpretationof crispy deep-fried chicken. These Africans later became thecooksin many a Southern American house where crispy fried chicken became a universal staple. They also observed that it travelled well inwarmclimate in the times before refrigeration was everyday so was eaten on almost a daily basis as they travelled to the cotton fields to work. Since, it has become the south's best optionfor just about any occasion.
This is said to have come from a man known as James Boswell who wrote alogin 1773 named “record of a Tour to the Hebrides”. In his journal he noted that at dinner the locals would eat fricassee of rooster which he went on to say “crispy fried chicken or something like that”. What he actually heard was the Scottish dish Friars Chicken, not crispy 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 food for fried chicken in English is hidden away in one of the most well-known cooking books of the 18th century by Hannah Glasse known as The Art of cooking Made Plain and Easy. Her procedure had a strange name known as “To Marinate Chickens” which was first released in 1747. The book was a success in the UK and more importantly in the American Colonies.
Here is the original procedure...
Joint two chickens into quarters; 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 the yolks of two eggsa little melted butter and nutmeg. Beat it all together very well, dip yourchicken piecesin the batter and fry them in a high-quality deal of pork lardwhich must boil first before you put your fowl in. Let them be of golden incolour and set them on your bowl with a garnish of fried parsley. Serve with lemons and a high-quality gravy. Now, we have exchanged the hog fat with Rapeseed oil which has 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 food has walked worldwide and how different cultures have adopted their own versions.
