TheScrotish migrantsfrom the southern states of Us had a tradition of deep-frying poultry in fat 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 African Americans and this lead to the Africans adding some other seasoning to the formula andcreatingtheir own interpretationof fried chicken. These Africans later went on to become thecooksin many a Southern American household where deep-fried chicken became a typical staple. They also observed that it transported well inhottemperatures before refrigeration was prevalent so was consumed on almost a daily basis as they travelled to the cotton fields to labor. Since then it has become the region’s most suitable choicefor just about any occasion.
This is said to have come from a man known as James Boswell who wrote alogin 1773 known as “diary of a Tour to the Hebrides”. In his diary he noted that at an evening meal the local people would eat fricassee of hen which he went on to say “crispy fried chicken or something like that”. What he really heard was the Scottish dish Friars Chicken, not deep-fried chicken but you could say that where it was first named.
The very true origins of deep-fried chicken we will probably never know but the earliest known dish for fried chicken in English is hidden away in one of the most recognized cookery books of the 18th century by Hannah Glasse called The Art of culinary Made Plain and Easy. Her process had a strange name known as “To Marinate Chickens” which was first available in 1747. The book was a hit in the UK and more importantly in the US Colonies.
Here is the original dish...
Joint 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 superior deal of hogs lardwhich must boil first before you put your fowl in. Let them be of bronze incolour and lay them on your plate with a garnish of fried parsley. Serve with lemon slices and a fine gravy. In the present day, we have exchanged 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 process has walked worldwide and how different cultures have adopted their own versions.
