Since then, I have found a new job that I love, with the help of my family I have landed a great new house (with a fabulous kitchen designed by yours truly) and a beautiful puppy called Penny. Not to mention two wonderful house mates. Needless to say I have held on to my boyfriend.
The reason this post has taken to so long is because the recipe
for Dominica's national dish, 'Mountain Chicken' as the name wouldn't suggest, requires frogs legs. For a while there, when visiting Sligo, I did consider attempting to catch some 'local organic' frogs legs in the garden. Back in Dublin, all that was needed was a quick phone call to Fallon and
Byrne where a charming Spanish butcher took my order for 1kg of frozen frogs
legs. Next day delivery he said, clearly impressed by my order. I am both ashamed and embarrassed by the length of time it took me to get this far.
I feel now though, that it's time for a pun or too (or many). I make a lot of puns, so I've been toad. Although personally I don't think any of them are worth ribbetting.
To mark the return of Culinisation, we had a few friends over for a whopping hopping frog leg feeding frenzy. I think that from the 1kg of frogs legs (and copious amounts of chips) I fed about ten people. Everyone got two frogs legs each so not exactly a generous portion. When I say 'frogs legs' I mean a pair so I guess that's really four actual frogs legs. They come in pairs connected at the hip. It's nice that they remain together until the very end, unless you're squeamish and would rather your meat not resemble its living counterpart.
Q: Did you ever consider that the splash of milk you put in your tea every day is actually milk from hundreds of cows, not just one?
Before being 'dressed' in their little floury trousers, their little legs look altogether naked and well, lets say it's all a bit awkward. But after they have been deep fried, any squeamishness for the most part dissipates. You could almost forget they're frogs. Ribbet.
And yes, they taste like a cross between chicken and fish.
Mountain Chicken (Deep Fried Frogs Legs)
1 kg frozen frogs legs
5 tbsp plain flour
Milk for coating
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp thyme (ain't nobody got thyme for that)
Oil for deep frying
Mix together the flour, salt and thyme. Dip your defrosted frogs legs in the milk.
Coat them in the flour mixture. Once they have their little flour trousers on it gets a little less awkward.
Deep fry them at 170• C until golden brown.
Serve with chips, wedges of lemon and cold(ish) beer.
Ribbet.
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