The classic specialty from the Dombes ponds, crisp and golden on the outside, tender on the inside, coated in a nutty brown butter bursting with fresh parsley and mellow garlic.
Ingredients
- 1000 g fresh or thawed frog legs
- 30 cl pasteurized whole milk with 3.5 % milk fat
- 60 g all-purpose wheat flour T55
- 120 g pasteurized unsalted butter with 82 % fat
- 2 tbsp high-oleic sunflower oil
- 6 cloves fresh white garlic
- 1 bunch fresh flat-leaf parsley
- 1 piece untreated lemon
- 1 tsp fine salt
- 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
Method
- Soak the frog legs in the whole milk for 15 minutes in the refrigerator (4 °C) to purify the meat and keep its texture silky.
- Drain the frog legs thoroughly, then pat them gently with paper towels to remove all surface moisture.
- Peel the white garlic cloves, remove the germ, and mince finely with a knife. Wash, dry, and pick the leaves of the flat-leaf parsley, then chop finely without bruising.
- Spread the wheat flour in a wide, shallow dish. Dredge the frog legs quickly to coat, then shake them vigorously in a fine-mesh strainer to leave only a translucent dusting.
- Heat a large, heavy-bottomed skillet over high heat (around 170 °C to 180 °C) for 2 minutes with the high-oleic sunflower oil and an initial portion of the unsalted butter. As soon as the mixture foams and sizzles without browning, arrange the frog legs flat in a single layer without overlapping, working in two batches if necessary.
- Sear undisturbed over high heat for 4 to 5 minutes until a golden, crisp crust forms on the first side, then turn gently with tongs to brown the second side for 3 to 4 minutes.
- Lower the heat to medium (around 140 °C), add the remaining unsalted butter to enrich the pan, season with fine salt and freshly ground black pepper, and swirl continuously for 2 minutes to baste the meat thoroughly.
- Add the minced white garlic and chopped flat-leaf parsley to the foaming butter, then immediately coat the legs by tossing the skillet vigorously over medium heat for 1 minute to 1 minute 30 seconds, until fragrant without letting the garlic brown.
- Let rest for 1 minute off the heat in the warm skillet, then transfer immediately to a warm platter or individual plates, spoon the garlic-parsley butter pan juices over top, and serve at once with the cut lemon wedges.
Nutrition
Per serving
- Energy
- 1052.6 kcal
- Protein
- 26.57 g
- Carbohydrate
- 149.7 g
- Fat
- 36.68 g
- Fibre
- 8 g
- Calcium
- 104.38 mg
- Iron
- 0.4 mg
- Magnesium
- 17.06 mg
