Black AF History: The Un-Whitewashed Story of America

by Michael Harriot

FOOD STOP THE TOP-SECRET RECIPE TO AUNT PHYLLIS’S FRIED CHICKEN 1 chicken, cut into parts Some Lawry’s seasoned salt Some pepper Buttermilk Egg A big pot of used grease Piggly Wiggly bag 2 cups of Red Band all-purpose flour First of all, I know you’re wondering how this is related to history. Although there is a dispute over whether the Scottish or West Africans invented fried chicken, there is no dispute that the African version was the one that had seasoning and batter.1 We’re making the one invented by Black people.2 And joking about unseasoned chicken is actually an ethnic slur. I will not denigrate Scottish culture. They make great toilet paper. And yes, it has to be a Piggly Wiggly bag. This is not to say the bag must come from Piggly Wiggly. In South Carolina, all grocery bags are Piggly Wiggly bags, no matter where they come from. Unless, of course, you’re talking about a paper bag, which, of course, is technically called a “Kroger sack.” But you can’t make this chicken in a Kroger sack. Don’t be stupid. Next you need to salt it. Not with just any salt. You need the Lawry’s seasoned salt, the salmon-colored goodness that your mama taught you to sprinkle on everything from collard greens to corn on the cob. Sprinkle that on the chicken, along with some pepper, whisk the egg and milk together, and dump the chicken in there while you wait for your grease to heat up. Now here is the key: your grease can’t be new. It has to be melted Crisco used from the last time you f...