TheScrotish migrantsfrom the southern states of Usa had a tradition of deep-frying chicken pieces in fat and even previously they used to fry fritters in the middle ages. The Scottish immigrants would often work, live and dine with the indentured Africans and this lead to the Africans adding some more spices to the dish andbuildingtheir own interpretationof crispy fried chicken. These Africans later went on to become thefood preparersin many a Southern American household where crispy deep-fried chicken became a ordinary staple. They also discovered that it journeyed well inwarmweather in the times before refrigeration was seen everyday so was consumed on almost every day basis as they walked to the cotton fields to work. Since then it has become the south's most suitable choicefor just about any occasion.
This is said to have come from a man called James Boswell who wrote adiaryin 1773 named “diary of a Tour to the Hebrides”. In his log he noted that at mealtime the local folks would eat fricassee of hen 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 dish for crispy deep-fried chicken in English is hidden away in one of the most celebrated cooking books of the 18th century by Hannah Glasse called The Art of cookery Made Plain and Easy. Her dish had a strange name known as “To Marinate Chickens” which was first published in 1747. The book was a hit in the UK and more importantly in the Usa Colonies.
Here is the original procedure...
Cut two chickens into quarters; 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 2 eeg yolkssome melted butter and nutmeg. Beat it all together thoroughly, dip yourchicken piecesin the batter and fry them in a excellent deal of pork shorteningwhich must boil first before you put your fowl in. Let them be of light golden incolour and set them on your dish with a garnish of fried parsley. Serve with lemons and a good quality gravy. Now, we have replaced 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 mix has went worldwide and how different cultures have adopted their own versions.
