Fried chicken
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Fried chicken is chicken which is dipped in a breaded mixture and then deep fried, pan fried, or pressure cooked. The breading seals in the juices but also absorbs the fat of the fryer, which is sometimes seen as unhealthy. The chicken itself may be chicken pieces on the bone with skin, or boneless and skinless pieces, usually breast meat, as in chicken fingers. Chickens used for frying are usually young, tender birds.
History
Fried chicken has a dual origin in the rural American South. The Scots, and later Scottish immigrants to many southern states had a tradition of deep frying chicken in fat, unlike their English counterparts who baked or boiled chicken. [link] Later, as African slaves were introduced to households as cooks, seasonings and spices were added that are absent in traditional Scottish cuisine, improving the flavor. Since slaves were often only allowed to keep chickens, frying chicken as a special occasion spread through the African American community. After slavery, poor rural southern blacks continued the tradition since chickens were often the only animals they could afford to raise. Since fried chicken could keep for several days, it travelled well, and also gained favor during segregation when blacks normally could not find places to eat and had to carry their own food.
Southern whites also continued the tradition of frying chicken. While not limited like blacks socially, poor whites were no better off economically. Therefore, fried chicken continued to dominate as "Sunday dinner" or on other special occasions.
Another version of Fried Chicken is made by the Chinese, in which the chicken is seasoned and fried in oil. Because the Chicken is not breaded, the fat from the chicken skin is "fried out" into the oil creating a "paper thin skin" that is very light and crispy. Thus, the chicken dish is known by direct Chinese to English translation as "Paper Fried Chicken" ("zha zhi ji" "炸紙雞"). This version of the fried chicken probably supersedes the appearance of both its Scottish and American counterparts with respect to time in chronological history.
Types of fried chicken
- Fried chicken - a general term used for whole, bone-in chicken pieces, usually breasts, thighs, wings, and drumsticks (legs).
- Chicken fingers - also known as chicken strips or chicken tenders, this is one of the most common forms of fried chicken, generally pieces of chicken breast (sometimes with rib meat) cut into long strips, breaded or battered dipped, and deep fried.
- Chicken nuggets
- Buffalo wings
- Popcorn chicken - occasionally known as chicken bites or other similar terms, small morsels of boneless chicken, battered and fried, resulting in little nuggets that resemble popcorn.
- Chicken patties - breaded, fried patties of chicken meat used in sandwiches.
- Chicken Fries - chicken nuggets in the shape of french fries, popularized by the fast-food chains Burger King and Hungry Jacks. These may also be referred to as chicken sticks.
- Buffalo Fingers - also known as boneless Buffalo wings
See also
- Church's Chicken
- Kentucky Fried Chicken
- Popeyes Chicken & Biscuits
- Bojangles'
- Roy Rogers Family Restaurants
- Harold's Chicken Shack
- Chicken fried steak
- Fried chicken restaurants in the UK
External links
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