Frog legs taste like the combination of fried chicken, mushrooms and lychee. Frog legs have white (pink) meat, just like chicken and have no fat in them. Frog legs meat is soft, tender and juicy with a sweetish flavor. In terms of nutritional value, frog meat is comparable to that of oysters and mussels.
If you have never tried frog legs, it must be hard to understand what they taste like. But how can we describe the taste of frog legs?
How to describe the taste of frog legs? People who have tried frog legs describe its taste and texture like a cross between fish and chicken, so it has its own unique taste. No wonder frog legs are often compared to chicken, as the meat has a similar texture, composition and appearance.
Do frog legs taste fishy? Frog legs should never have a fishy taste after they were cooked. The fishy taste might indicate that the frog is not fresh or was not stored in proper conditions. Frog legs should taste like chicken, not fish.
In fact, frog legs are similar to familiar meat products and poultry, for example, chicken — the upper part of the legs, which has one main bone, is used for cooking. Chicken has the same physiology, which everyone is used to eating. Not all frogs are suitable for cooking — some of them are poisonous, and the meat itself will not be as tasty.
The French usually cook tender frog legs fricassee stuffed with Provencal herbs, spices and deep-fried in breadcrumbs. It is best to use olive oil for deep frying; this way, the dish will not be very fatty and aromatic. You can additionally serve sauce to frog legs. Almost any French with herbs and spices will do.
Frog legs are not only not harmful to the human body but also useful. Frogs live only in clean water bodies, and therefore their meat cannot be contaminated with toxins or toxic substances. Some scientists argue that frog meat prevents cancer, and the calorie content of legs is very low — only 73 kcal per 100 grams of a precious green product that has won the hearts of gourmets around the world.
Do frog legs really taste like chicken? Frog legs really taste like chicken — something between chicken wings and chicken legs due to the similarity of the structure and texture of the meat and the nutritional properties of the two. It contains 15-16% protein, only 0.3% fat, mostly unsaturated, and almost no cholesterol. Frog meat contains vitamins A, C, D, B6 and B12, calcium, magnesium, iron, sodium, potassium.
Of course, the taste of frog legs will directly depend on the way they were cooked. 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. Some chefs make a saute of them, tossing them in a frying pan.
What do fried frog legs taste like? Fried frog legs taste exactly like fried chicken legs or wings due to their similarities in texture and composition. Fried frog legs are mild in flavor, crunchy, juicy, and crispy. Fried frog legs can also be salty and spicy or also topped with chilli-like paprika or hot sauce to give it a spicy taste.
Different countries use different oils, spices and sauces for cooking frog legs. In France, Provencal frog legs (de Grenouilles à la Provencale) with garlic and parsley and chicken legs (de Grenouille à la poulette) with cream eggs are popular. Frog legs can be pre-pickled, and sweet pickles 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.
Since frog meat is soft and juicy, it goes well with crab meat, dry in nature. For example, chefs make cutlets from frogs and add crab meat to frog meat as they harmoniously complement each other. In France, they love to cook frogs in white wine. Ome of the classic recipes for frog legs is the following:
- Fry the frog legs with shallots, then remove them from the pan. Add white wine to the onion, evaporate it, pour in the fund or broth, boil it again.
- When the broth is ready, add wine or vinegar, balsamic or any other.
- Put the frogs back and serve in a couple of minutes.
- You can boil the frog legs in carrot and celery broth with bay leaves, black peppercorns, leeks. It’s even easier – fry in vegetable and butter.
France is not the only place where the meat of the edible frog has won the love of the locals. Since ancient times, it has been eaten in China, Indonesia, Thailand and other Asian countries. Today, frog legs are eaten by the Spanish, Greeks, Italians, Portuguese, residents of the Caribbean and some states in the southern United States.
There are many variations of the preparation of frogs in France, including original recipes and seasonal menu items from eminent Parisian chefs. But the classic of the genre is Cuisses de Grenouilles a la provençale with garlic, butter, parsley, lemon and spices. A similar recipe is popular in Lyon – Cuisses de Grenouilles de la Dombes (seasoned with garlic and parsley) or deep-fried (friture de la Saône).
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 lychee fruit. However, compared to seafood and poultry, frog meat has a lower calorie content and has a minimum fat content, so it is easily cooked with fat sauces from cream, butter and other high-calorie ingredients.