SC - Off Topic: Muggles for Harry Potter

[Jenne Heise]

david friedman wrote:
> 
> At 12:39 AM -0600 12/8/00, Stefan li Rous wrote:
> >Olwen commented:
> >
> >We did have a discussion a while back about period frog leg recipes, but
> >while they were apparently mentioned in two books, no one was able to
> >give any period recipes for them.
> >
> >>  I'm aware of references to frogs as food in Le Menagier de Paris, and in
> >>  Platina's De Honesta Voluptate. The former, IIRC, gives instructions on
> >>  gigging for frogs, but gives no recipe, as far as I recall, while the
> >>  latter talks about the medical aspects of eating them, and also, IIRC,
> >>  gives no recipe.
> >  >
> >>  Adamantius
> >
> >This is from my exotic-meats-msg file. Does anyone have any actual period
> >recipes for frog or frog legs? Thomas?
> 
> Yes--Le Menagier.
> 
> FROGS.  To take them, have a line and a hook and bait of meat or red
> cloth, and having taken the frogs, cut them across the body near the
> thighs and empty out what is near the back end, and take the two
> thighs of these same frogs, cut off the feet, and skin the thighs
> raw, then have cold water and wash them; and if the thighs stay
> overnight in cold water, they will be better and more tender. And
> after thus rinsing them, they should be washed in warm water, then
> take and dry in a cloth; the thighs, thus washed and dried, should be
> rolled in flour, that is floured, and then fried in oil, fat or other
> liquid, and put in a bowl and powdered spices on them.

Sorry, the Powers translation leaves out the recipe, IIRC, and just
mentions the part about catching them with a red rag. Which is peculiar
since I suspect, worldwide, more people are interested in eating frog's
legs than are interested in catching them, butchering them, and eating
them. 

BTW, for those who haven't tried them, for frog's legs The Official
Wisdom is Mediterranean, seasoned, floured and fried (or sauteed) legs
being the basis for a number of dishes, all the best of which seem also
to call for olive oil, garlic, parsley and tomato. Maybe a caper or two.

My mother-in-law does add them to soup (primarily poultry-based), but I
wouldn't recommend that as a starting point for the non-initiate.
They're pretty easy to find frozen in three-or-five-pound boxes, like
shrimp, at a good Asian market (a lot of frog's legs are imported from
Indonesia, apparently), or you may be able to order them in your fish market.

Adamantius
- -- 
Phil & Susan Troy

troy at asan.com