Homemade KFC
Themigrants from Scotlandfrom the southern states of Us had a custom of deep-frying chicken in fat and even before this they used to fry fritters in the middle ages.
The immigrants from Scotland would often work, live and dine with the African slaves and this lead to the Africans adding some new spices to the food andbuildingtheir own versionof fried chicken.
These Africans later went on to become thefood preparersin many a Southern American house where crispy fried chicken became a regular staple.
This is said to have come from a guy known as James Boswell who wrote ajournalin 1773 called âdiary of a Tour to the Hebridesâ.
In his diary he noted that at mealtime the locals would eat fricassee of pullet which he went on to say âcrispy deep-fried chicken or something like thatâ.
What he in reality heard was the Scottish dish Friars Chicken, not crispy deep-fried chicken but you could say that where it was first named.They also observed that it journeyed well inhotclimatic conditions in the times before refrigeration was prevalent so was consumed on almost a daily basis as they travelled to the cotton fields to labor.
Since, it has become the regionâs best optionfor just about any occasion.
The very true origins of crispy fried chicken we will probably never know but the earliest known recipe for crispy 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 dish had a strange name known as âTo Marinate Chickensâ 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 process...
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 eggsa little melted butter and nutmeg. Beat it all together well, dip yourchicken piecesin the batter and fry them in a first-rate deal of hogs lardwhich must boil first before you put your fowl in. Let them be of light golden incolour and lay them on your dish with a garnish of fried parsley. Serve with lemon slices and a good quality gravy.
In the present day, 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. Itâs amazing to think how far this procedure has walked worldwide and how different cultures have adopted their own versions.