TheScrotish migrantsfrom the southern states of Us had a custom of deep-frying chicken pieces in lard and even before this they used to fry fritters in the middle ages.
The migrants from Scotland would often labor, live and dine with the indentured Africans and this lead to the Africans adding some supplementary spices to the food andmakingtheir own presentationof crispy deep-fried chicken.
These Africans later went on to become thecaterersin many a Southern American family where crispy fried chicken became a regular staple.
This is said to have come from a gentleman called James Boswell who wrote alogin 1773 called “journal of a Tour to the Hebrides”.
In his diary he noted that at an evening meal the local folks would eat fricassee of pullet which he went on to say “crispy fried chicken or something like that”.
What he in actuality heard was the Scottish dish Friars Chicken, not crispy fried chicken but you could say that where it was first named.They also learned that it travelled well inwarmclimatic conditions prior to refrigeration was everyday so was enjoyed on almost a daily basis as they journeyed to the cotton fields to work.
Since then it has become the region’s most suitable choicefor just about any occasion.
The very true origins of fried chicken we will probably never know but the earliest known mix for fried chicken in English is stashed in one of the most eminent culinary books of the 18th century by Hannah Glasse known as The Art of cooking Made Plain and Easy.
Her procedure 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 American Colonies.
Here is the original mix...
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 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 first-rate deal of pork lardwhich must boil first before you put your fowl in. Let them be of bronze incolour and serve them on your dish with a garnish of fried parsley. Serve with lemon slices and a high-quality gravy. Presently, 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 recipe has journeyed worldwide and how different cultures have adopted their own versions.
