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Arkansas Frogs' Legs

Source of Recipe

From "Southern Fried" by James Villas


Recipe Introduction

"Green frogs and bullfrogs proliferate all along the Gulf Coast and have been braised, sautéed, and grilled for centuries as one of the region's great delicacies, but nowhere will you sample sweeter, more delectable frogs' legs than those that are typically battered in seasoned buttermilk and gently shallow fried. Fresh frogs' legs are still not that easy to find outside the Deep South, but the frozen ones (packaged in connecting pairs) now available in better markets are completely acceptable and usually less expensive than fresh ones. Properly fried, frogs' legs have a very subtle succulence, and since the meat dries and toughens very quickly if overcooked, I do not recommend deep-frying them."

List of Ingredients

â—¦ 12 pairs dressed, plump frogs' legs, each pair tied together with twine at the first joints
â—¦ 1 cup all-purpose flour
â—¦ Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
â—¦ Cayenne pepper to taste
â—¦ 1 cup buttermilk
â—¦ Vegetable oil for shallow frying
â—¦ Lemon wedges


Recipe

Place the frogs' legs in a large bowl with enough water to cover and refrigerate for 2 hours. Rinse the frogs' legs thoroughly and pat dry with paper towels.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, salt and pepper, and cayenne, and mix till well blended.

Dip the frogs' legs in the buttermilk, dredge on all sides in the seasoned flour, and place on a platter.

Preheat the oven to 250° F.
In a large cast-iron skillet, heat about ½ inch of oil to 350° F on a deep-fat thermometer, fry the frogs' legs in batches till golden brown, about 5 minutes on each side, and keep hot in the oven till ready to serve.

To serve, remove and discard the twine and serve the frogs' legs with lemon wedges.


Makes 4 to 6 servings