NOTE: THE BELOW HOW-TO ON FROG GIGGING MAY BE OFFENSIVE TO SOME. THOSE SENSITIVE TO ANIMAL RIGHTS MAY WANT TO SKIP THIS AND GO DIRECTLY TO THE RECIPE. IT WORKS EQUALLY WELL ON STORE-BOUGHT FROG LEGS—IF YOU CAN FIND THEM.
About the only thing better than eating frog legs is gigging them. And the only thing worse than cleaning up after the meal is cleaning and skinning the frogs.
Occasionally you can find frog legs in fish markets, very occasionally.
In most cases, if you want frog legs, you have to get them yourself. Frog gigging, unfortunately is quickly becoming a lost art. It's also seasonal in the spring mating season with May being the best month. Here's how it's done. To catch the frogs there are four essential pieces of equipment: a gig, a head-mounted flashlight, a frog bag, and a canoe or John boat. Try to avoid those thin fish spears you often see in fishing tackle stores. They'll break before you get a dozen frogs. Get a heavy-duty spear and attach it to an eight-foot pole.
Next, buy a five-volt flash light that is mounted on a head band. The brighter the better. You can't buy a frog bag; you have to make one. Cut the bottom off a one-pound (12 ounce?) coffee can and poke holes around the top rim about an inch apart. With strong cord, sew the can to the top of a burlap bag, then invert the can into the bag. After a frog is dropped through the can into the bag, secure the bag with a pieces of rope under the coffee can. If you can't locate a burlap bag, an old pillow case can be substituted.
Plan to arrive at a pond or gravel pit about fifteen minutes before sunset. There will be enough light to get the boat or canoe launched and set up easily. By now the love-starved frogs will begin calling. When it gets dark, they'll all be in tune.
One person sits in the back of the canoe and paddles while the other is in the front with the gig, headlight, and frog bag. Scan the lily pads and shore line with the light until a pair of bright specks light up. That's dinner.
The paddler may or may not see the eyes because of his position or angle. Direct him to put you directly in front of the frog and about three feet away. Keep the light in the frog's eyes all the time, otherwise he'll dive. Aiming for the eyes, thrust the gig quickly.
Bring the frog into the canoe. Grip it by its legs and pull it off the gig, then dump him into the frog bag and secure the bag with a rope. It's a good idea to tie one end of the rope to the canoe or boat.
Periodically change positions with the paddler. Although a John boat will work, a canoe is easier and faster to handle. This translates into more frogs in less time.
The fun's over; the cleaning begins. This is messy, real messy; it's definitely an outdoor job. Begin by holding the frog by it's legs, smack it's head sharply against a solid object to stun it. Make a slash across its back at the waist line just above the thigh muscles.
Grip the skin with a pair of pliers and pull the skin down the legs. Cut the legs from the body and remove the feet. Drop the skinned legs in salted water. When all the legs are skinned, take them indoors and drain the water.
Rinse the legs with cold water and return them to a pot of fresh salted water. Let them soak overnight in the refrigerator. Next day freeze any that won't be used immediately.
| 12 pair of legs to serve 6 | 1 teaspoon salt more or less |
| 1 cup flour for dredging | ¼ teaspoon pepper more or less |
| clarified butter for frying |
Mix flour, salt and pepper together. Dredge the frog legs in the flour to lightly coat; shake off excess. Melt butter in skillet until there is about ¼ to ½ inches. When butter is hot quickly brown the legs. Do not overcook. When done, remove to paper towels to drain. Serve hot with cole slaw and baked potato.
| 12 pair of legs to serve 6 | ¼ cup clarified butter |
| 1 tablespoon garlic, fine dice | ¼ cup clarified butter |
| 1 tablespoon garlic, fine dice | 2 cups chicken stock |
| 1 tablespoon shallots, fine dice | 2 cups heavy cream |
| 1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley | Salt and pepper to taste |
| Chopped parsley to garnish |
Sauté the legs in clarified butter to seal in the juices. Add the garlic, shallots and parsley and cook until the garlic and shallots are translucent. Move skillet to a 450° oven for 15 minutes. Remove legs from the skillet and reserve. Deglaze the skillet with white wine. Add chicken stock and reduce by one half. Add heavy cream and reduce by one half, then strain.
Sauce the plate and serve 4 legs (2 pair) per person. Garnish with chopped parsley. Fresh string beans and baked stuffed potato would be appropriate.
| 1 or more rabbits, preferable wild | Grated Parmigiana Reggiano |
| Italian tomato sauce | Pasta |
| Extra virgin olive oil | Red pepper flakes |
If the rabbits are wild, they should be gutted immediately. After skinning, quarter the rabbits and separate the back and breasts. Soak overnight in cold salted water changing the water frequently. If not to be used, freeze them.
Sear the front and back legs in olive oil and reserve. Transfer the olive oil into a sauce pot and proceed making the tomato sauce. After a half hour add the rabbit legs. Sear the backs and breasts in the same skillet the legs were seared in. Deglaze the skillet with a little red wine. Put the backs and breasts back in the skillet and add enough water to cover. Slowly bring to a simmer and cook for two hours. Remove the back and breasts and discard, then reduce the stock by half. Add the rabbit stock to tomato sauce. The total cooking time of the tomato sauce should be at least four hours.
Just before serving, prepare the pasta. For cacciatore, we prefer either spaghetinni (#9) or penne. Have the cheese and red pepper flakes on the side. A really good Chianti to serve with this dish is Nando Chianti Classico, about $10. Don't, however, expect the quaint straw-basket bottle that's a sure sign of vinegar.
This one comes from my son, David. He likes to eat a lot, and to eat well. This is a dish that can be prepared in about a half hour.
Backstrap is the deer's tenderloin, the same cut from which butchers get filet mignon. It is the tenderest cut, whether it comes from a steer or a deer. A great many recipes for venison call for the meat to be marinated creating, in effect, sauerbrauten. In some cases that is necessary, especially when the deer was not properly and quickly field dressed. In other cases the deer may have been an old buck or doe where something has to be done to make the meat chewable.
But not with the tenderloin. Don't even think about marinating the backstrap. It's an insult to North America's most popular big game. When cooking the backstrap, leave the vinegar, wine, and soy sauce where they belong: in the pantry.
| 1 venison backstrap | Salt |
| 3 tablespoons butter | Freshly ground black pepper |
Lay the backstrap on a cutting board and carefully cut away all the shiny, white membrane. It's not chewable and barely digestible. Cut the meat into ½-inch medallions. Preheat oven to 130°. Melt the butter in a skillet and quickly sauté the medallions to medium rare. Turn oven off, then lightly sprinkle the medallions with salt and pepper. Reserve in the oven while making Cognac Cream Sauce. Sauce plates, then put medallions on each plate and put a teaspoon of the sauce on each piece of backstrap.
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