 Clockwise from top left: A fried chicken breast, wing, thigh, and leg | |
| Course | Entrée |
|---|---|
| Place of origin | United States |
| Region or state | American South |
| Serving temperature | Hot or cold |
| Main ingredients | Chicken, batter or seasoned flour |
| Similar dishes | Schnitzel |
Fried chicken, also calledSouthern fried chicken, is a dish consisting ofchicken pieces that have been coated with seasoned flour orbatter andpan-fried,deep-fried,pressure-fried, orair-fried. Thebreading adds a crisp coating or crust to the exterior of the chicken while retaining juices in the meat.Broiler chickens are most commonly used.
The first dish known to have been deep-fried wasfritters, which were popular in the EuropeanMiddle Ages. However, theScottish were the first to have been recorded as deep-frying their chicken in fat with breadcrumbs and seasonings, as evidenced by a recipe in a 1747 cookbook byHannah Glasse[1][2] and a 1773 diary entry describing fried chicken on the Isle of Skye.[2] The first known recipe in the US did not contain the seasonings that were in the earlier Scottish recipe.[2] There is an English cookbook from 1736 which mentions fried chicken, the "Dictionarium Domesticum", by Nathan Bailey, where it is called "a marinade of chickens".[3] Meanwhile, in later years many West African peoples had traditions of seasoned fried chicken (though battering and cooking the chicken inpalm oil).
The expression "fried chicken" was first recorded in the 1830s,[4] and frequently appears in American cookbooks of the 1860s and 1870s.[5] The origin of fried chicken in the southern states of America has been traced to precedents inScottish[6][7][8] andWest African cuisine.[9][10][11][12] Scottish fried chicken was battered with seasonings and deep fried in lard and West African fried chicken added different seasonings,[12][2] and was battered[10][13] and cooked in palm oil.[9] African seasoning techniques were used in the American South by enslaved Africans.[6][7][8][12][2]
Fried chicken provided some means of an independent economy for enslaved and segregated African-American women, who became noted sellers of poultry (live or cooked) as early as the 1730s though this was cooked on a griddle.[14][15] Because of the expensive nature of the ingredients, it was, despite popular belief, a rare dish in the African-American community[9] reserved (as in Africa) for special occasions.[13][11][12]When it was introduced to the American South, Southern fried chicken became a common staple. Later, as theslave trade led to Africans being brought to work on southernplantations, the enslaved people became cooks.[16] Since most enslaved people were unable to raise expensive meats, but were generally allowed to keep chickens, frying chicken on special occasions continued in theAfrican-American communities of the South, especially in the periods ofsegregation that closed off most restaurants to the black population.[17]
American-style fried chicken gradually passed into everyday use as a general Southern dish, especially after theabolition of slavery, and its popularity spread. Since fried chicken traveled well in hot weather before refrigeration was commonplace and industry growth reduced its cost, it gained further favor across the South. Fried chicken continues to be among this region's top choices for "Sunday dinner". Southern Jews blended Southern and Jewishfoodways to make fried chicken a mainstay of Shabbat dinners alongsidecharoset and braided loaves ofchallah.[18][19]
Holidays such asIndependence Day and other gatherings often feature this dish.[20] During the 20th century, chain restaurants focused on fried chicken began among the boom in thefast food industry. Brands such asKentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) andPopeyes expanded in the United States and across the world.
Before the industrialization of chicken production and the creation ofbroiler breeds of chicken, only young spring chickens (pullets or cockerels) would be suitable for the higher heat and relatively fast cooking time of frying making fried chicken a luxury of spring and summer. Older, tougher birds require longer cooking times at lower temperatures. To compensate for this, sometimes tougher birds are simmered till tender, allowed to cool and dry, and then fried.[21]
Fried chicken has been described as being "crunchy" and "juicy",[22] as well as "crispy".[23] The dish has also been called "spicy" and "salty".[24] Occasionally, fried chicken is also topped with chili likepaprika, orhot sauce to give it a spicy taste.[25] This is especially common in fast food restaurant chains such asKFC.[26] The dish is traditionally served withmashed potatoes,gravy,macaroni and cheese,coleslaw,corn orbiscuits.[27]
The dish is renowned for being greasy, especially when coming from fast food outlets.[22] It has even been reported that some of those who enjoy eating the food limit themselves to eating it only a certain number of times a year, to keep their fat intake reasonably low.[28] Out of the various parts of the animal used in fried chicken, the wings generally tend to contain the most fat, with almost 40 grams (1.4 oz) of fat for every 100 grams (3.5 oz).[29] However, the average whole fried chicken contains only around 12% fat, or 12 grams (0.42 oz) per every 100 grams (3.5 oz).[30] 100 grams (3.5 oz) of fried chicken generally contains around 240 calories of energy.[30]
Generally, chickens are not fried whole. Instead, the chicken is divided into its constituent pieces.[31] Thewhite meat sections are the breast and the wings from the front of the chicken, while thedark meat sections are the thighs and legs or "drumsticks" from the rear of the chicken. The breast is typically split into two pieces, and the back is usually discarded.[32]Chicken fingers, which are boneless pieces of chicken breast cut into long strips, are also commonly used.[33]
To prepare the chicken pieces for frying, they are typically coated in a flour-based batter that may contain eggs or milk, or they may be dredged in flour orbreadcrumbs. Seasonings such as salt,black pepper,chili powder,paprika,garlic powder, oronion powder can be mixed in with the flour. Either process may be preceded bymarination or dipping inbuttermilk, the acidity of which acts as a meat tenderizer. As the pieces of chicken cook, some of the moisture that exudes from the chicken is absorbed by the coating of flour and browns along with the flour, creating a flavorful crust.[34]
Traditionally,lard is used to fry the chicken, butcorn oil,peanut oil,canola oil,soybean oil, or othervegetable oils are also frequently used.[35][36] There are three main techniques for frying chickens:pan frying,[37]deep frying[38] andbroasting.[39]
Pan frying (or shallow frying) requires afrying pan of sturdy construction and a source of fat that does not fully immerse the chicken.[40] The chicken pieces are prepared as above, then fried. Generally, the fat is heated to a temperature hot enough to seal (without browning, at this point) the outside of the chicken pieces. Once the pieces have been added to the hot fat and sealed, the temperature is reduced. There is debate as to how often to turn the chicken pieces, with one camp arguing for often turning and even browning, and the other camp pushing for letting the pieces render skin side down and only turning when necessary. Once the chicken pieces are close to being done, the temperature is raised and the pieces are browned to the desired color (some cooks add small amounts of butter at this point to enhance browning). The moisture from the chicken that sticks and browns on the bottom of the pan becomes the fonds required to make gravy.[41]
Deep frying requires adeep fryer or other devices in which the chicken pieces can be completely submerged in hot fat. The process of deep frying is placing food fully in oil and then cooking it at a very high temperature.[40] The pieces are prepared as described above. The fat is heated in the deep fryer to the desired temperature. The pieces are added to the fat and a constant temperature is maintained throughout the cooking process.[42]
Apressure cooker can be used to accelerate the process.[43] The moisture inside the chicken becomes steam and increases the pressure in the cooker, such that lowering the cooking temperature is needed. The steam also cooks the chicken through, but still allows the pieces to be moist and tender while maintaining a crisp coating. Fat is heated in a pressure cooker. Chicken pieces are prepared as described above and then placed in the hot fat. The lid is placed on the pressure cooker, and the chicken pieces are thus fried under pressure.[44] The original recipe used by the KFC franchise used this method, which was marketed as "broasting" by theBroaster Company.
The derivative phrases "country-fried" and "chicken-fried" often refer to other foods prepared in the manner of fried chicken. Usually, this means a boneless, tenderized piece of meat that has been floured or battered and cooked in any of the methods described.Chicken-fried steak is a common dish of that variety.[45] Such dishes are often served with gravy.[46]
A 2019prospective cohort study ofpostmenopausal women found that consumption of at least one serving of fried chicken per week compared to no consumption is associated with a 13% increase in the risk of all-causemortality, as well as with a 12% increase in the risk ofcardiovascular mortality.[50]
To marinate Chickens - Cut two Chickens into Quarters, lay them in Vinegar for three or four Hours with Pepper, Salt, a Bay-Leaf, and a few Cloves, make a very thick Batter, first with Half a Pint of Wine and Flour, then the Yolks of two Eggs, a little melted butter, some grated Nutmeg, and chopp'd Parsley; beat all very well together, dip your Fowls in the Batter, and fry them in a good deal of Hogs Lard, which must first boil before you put your Chickens in; let them be a fine Brown, and lay them in your Dish like a Pyramid, with fry'd Parsley all round them, Garnish with Lemon, and have some good Gravy in Boats or Basons.
The origin of fried chicken is Scotland and the southern states of America. Fried chicken had been in the diet of Scottish people for a long time. Because slaves were allowed to feed only chickens, fried chicken became the dish that they ate on special occasions. This tradition spread to all African-American communities after the abolition of slavery.
The Scottish, who enjoyed frying their chickens rather than boiling or baking them as the English did, may have brought the method with them when they settled the South. The efficient and simple cooking process was very well adapted to the plantation life of the southern African-American slaves, who were often allowed to raise their own chickens.quoted atOlver, Lynne."history notes-meat". The Food Timeline.Archived from the original on February 21, 2012. RetrievedJune 20, 2009..
Most settlers from Europe were accustomed to having their chicken roasted or stewed. The Scots are believed to have brought the idea of frying chicken in fat to the United States and eventually into the Arkansas Delta in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Similarly, African slaves brought to the South were sometimes allowed to keep chickens, which didn't take up much space. They flour-breaded their pieces of plucked poultry, popped it with paprika and saturated it with spices before putting it into the grease.[page needed]
Chickens also were considered to be a special dish in traditional West African cuisine. ... Chickens were ... fried in palm oil. ... Pieces of chicken fried in oil sold on the street ... would all leave their mark on the developing cuisine of the early South.
Creole fried chicken is another dish that follows the African technique: "the cook prepared the poultry by dipping it in a batter and deep fat frying it
the African-American preference for yams and sweet potatoes, pork, chicken, and fried foods also originated in certain West African culinary traditions
West African women batter dipped and fried chicken" and "The African-American practice of eating chicken on special occasions is also a West Africanism that survived the slave trade. Among the Igbo, Hausa, and Mande, poultry was eaten on special occasions as part of religious ceremonies.
Media related toSouthern fried chicken at Wikimedia Commons
