KFC Secret Recipe Wings

Theimmigrants from Scotlandfrom the southern states of America had a tradition of deep frying chicken in fat and even prior to this they used to fry fritters in the middle ages. The Scrotish migrants would often work, live and eat with the indentured Africans and this lead to the Africans adding some new flavorings to the mix andproducingtheir own versionof crispy deep-fried chicken. These Africans later became thecooksin many a Southern American house where fried chicken became a prevalent staple. They also learned that it transported well inhottemperatures prior to refrigeration was everyday so was consumed on almost an every day basis as they travelled to the cotton fields to work. Since then it has become the southern state's best optionfor just about any occasion.

This is said to have come from a guy named James Boswell who wrote adiaryin 1773 named “journal of a Tour to the Hebrides”. In his log he noted that at meals the local folks would eat fricassee of chicken which he went on to say “crispy fried chicken or something like that”. What he in fact 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 recipe for deep-fried chicken in English is hidden away in one of the most eminent cooking books of the 18th century by Hannah Glasse called The Art of cookery Made Plain and Easy. Her food had a strange name named “To Marinate Chickens” which was first in print in 1747. The book was a success in the UK and more importantly in the American Colonies.

Here is the original dish...

Cut 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 2 eeg yolkssome melted butter and nutmeg. Beat it all together very well, dip yourfowlsin the batter and fry them in a good deal of pork lardwhich must boil first before you put your fowl in. Let them be of light golden incolour and serve them on your platter with a garnish of fried parsley. Serve with lemons and a good quality gravy.
Nowadays, we have exchanged the hog fat with Rapeseed oil which has 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.