TheScottish immigrantsfrom the southern states of Us had a custom of deep frying poultry in fat and even prior to this they used to fry fritters in the middle ages.
The migrants from Scotland would often work, live and dine with the indentured Africans and this lead to the Africans adding some additional spices to the process andproducingtheir own interpretationof Southern Fried Chicken.
These Africans later became thecaterersin many a Southern American household where deep-fried chicken became a common staple.
This is said to have come from a male known as James Boswell who wrote ajournalin 1773 known as “log of a Tour to the Hebrides”.
In his diary he noted that at an evening meal the local people would eat fricassee of capon which he went on to say “crispy fried chicken or something like that”.
What he in actual fact heard was the Scottish dish Friars Chicken, not deep-fried chicken but you could say that where it was first named.They also learned that it travelled well inhotweather conditions in the times before refrigeration was common so was consumed on almost a daily basis as they journeyed to the cotton fields to labor.
Since, it has become the region’s best optionfor just about any occasion.
The very true origins of deep-fried chicken we will probably never know but the earliest known process for fried chicken in English is hidden away in one of the most celebrated 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 known as “To Marinate Chickens” which was first released in 1747. The book was a hit in the England and more importantly in the US Colonies.
Here is the original formula...
Cut two chickens into pieces; 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 eggssome melted butter and nutmeg. Beat it all together thoroughly, dip yourchicken piecesin the batter and fry them in a high-quality deal of pork shorteningwhich must boil first before you put your fowl in. Let them be of bronze incolour and arrange them on your plate with a garnish of fried parsley. Serve with lemons and a superior gravy. These days, 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 food has walked worldwide and how different cultures have adopted their own versions.
