Considered a delicacy in many regions of the world, the frog legs sourced from farms have a delicate flavor that is reminiscent of chicken and fish at the same time. They look like small, long and thin chicken legs. In Asia, South America and France, frog legs are fried in various ways or boiled with numerous local herbs and spices. In France, frogs are traditionally breaded in flour, pan-fried and served with lemon and/or garlic butter.
But what about frog legs etiquette rules? How do you eat frog legs?
As frog legs are extremely soft, you can just eat them with your hand. Take the frog leg in one hand, bite the meat off, put the rest on the plate and rinse your hand in the water bowl next to you. If a frog leg is too big, disjoin the meat from the bone with a fork and a table knife. Do not eat frog legs’ skin.
The Proper Etiquette For Eating Frog Legs
Frog Legs Etiquette Rules — Eat Frog Legs Like A Pro
If you happen to try frog legs, then you should know that there is not so much meat on them. And the frog legs themselves are also small. So usually you do not eat frog legs with a knife and a fork but with one hand. Take the frog leg with fingers of one hand and bite off the meat. If the frog leg is quite big, cut it with a fork and a table knife. Never take frog legs with both hands.
In restaurants, you will be served a bowl of water and lemon to rinse your hands after eating frog legs.
Do you eat the whole frog leg? You should not eat the skin of the frog leg as it is too tough. Do you eat the bones in frog legs? You should not eat bones in frog legs too. Only eat the meat, just like when you eat chicken legs.
See also: What Does Gnocchi Taste Like? In-Depth Gnocchi Taste Guide
You may notice that some French people roast and eat whole headless frog carcasses, gutted and served with garlic butter, Provencal herbs, and parsley. These are completely different, much smaller frogs, not exceeding eight centimeters in size. You can also find dried frogs in Asian markets.
In fact, frog legs are almost indistinguishable from familiar meat products and poultry, for example, chicken. The upper part of the legs, which has one main bone, is used for cooking — the same physiology is characteristic of poultry, which everyone is used to eating. Not all frogs are suitable for cooking — some of them are poisonous, and the meat of some is not edible.
Are you not sure what goes well with frog legs? Check out this ultimate guide on what to serve with frog legs.
Eating Frog Legs For The First Time
Frog legs are eaten without skin, and they are usually sold that way. One kilogram has 8-12 legs, depending on the size. There are dozens of recipes for making frog legs, but most often they are fried: in oil and on the grill, in breading and batter, they make a saute of them (they are fried by tossing them in a frying pan, which makes them turn over).
Different countries use different oils, spices and sauces. In France, Provencal legs (de Grenouilles à la Provencale) with garlic and parsley and chicken legs (de Grenouille à la Poulette) with cream and eggs are popular.
Frog legs can be pre-marinated, and sweet marinades are often used in Asia. Frog legs are added to pies and omelets, boiled and stewed, served with mushrooms, rice, vegetables and fruits. In Indonesia, they make a soup with garlic, ginger and fermented soybeans.
There is a myth that for the French, cuisses de grenouille is an almost daily meal. In fact, in Paris, and in other cities of France, they are rarely eaten. Some do it on solemn and memorable events — this is how the special significance of the event is emphasized. But most of the inhabitants of France do not eat frogs at all because of personal rejection of the dish, or have never tasted them at all, unlike foreign tourists, most of whom do not miss the opportunity to enjoy the unknown “exotic”.
Properly cooked frog meat is soft and tender, somewhat like chicken. Some gourmets are convinced that its true taste is closer to fish, crab or even fruit (lychee). However, compared to seafood and poultry, frog meat has a lower calorie content and has a minimum fat content, so it is easily cooked in combination with fatty sauces from cream, butter and other high-calorie ingredients.
It is also not difficult to cook frog legs at home. The easiest recipe is to fry them in boiling oil, but Thai cuisine recommends serving them with chili, basil, garlic and fish sauce.
In addition to excellent dietary properties, this light pink meat has other valuable qualities, namely: a high content of phosphorus, iron, calcium, vitamins C and group B. It is believed that frog meat is also an excellent aphrodisiac, which is not inferior in its effect seafood or good chocolate.
