TheScottish immigrantsfrom the southern states of America had a tradition of deep frying chicken in lard and even prior to this they used to fry fritters in the middle ages.
The immigrants from Scotland would often labor, live and eat with the African slaves and this lead to the Africans adding some supplementary flavorings to the process andmakingtheir own presentationof deep-fried chicken.
These Africans later became thecaterersin many a Southern American household where deep-fried chicken became a ordinary staple.
This is said to have come from a gentleman known as James Boswell who wrote adiaryin 1773 named “journal of a Tour to the Hebrides”.
In his diary he noted that at dinner the locals would eat fricassee of chicken which he went on to say “crispy deep-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 observed that it journeyed well inwarmconditions prior to refrigeration was everyday so was consumed on almost every day basis as they walked to the cotton fields to labor.
Since then it has become the south's best optionfor just about any occasion.
The very true origins of fried chicken we will probably never know but the earliest known food for crispy fried chicken in English is hidden away in one of the most recognized culinary books of the 18th century by Hannah Glasse called The Art of cookery Made Plain and Easy.
Her food had a strange name known as “To Marinate Chickens” which was first in print in 1747. The book was a success in the United kingdom and more importantly in the Usa Colonies.
Here is the original food...
Joint two chickens into quarters; 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 good 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 dish with a garnish of fried parsley. Serve with lemons and a superior gravy. Now, we have swapped out 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 formula has went worldwide and how different cultures have adopted their own versions.
