If your first thought about eating frog legs is “nope” or “eew”, you should consider giving this recipe a try…they are delicious! Plus, bullfrogs are not native to NY, so hunting bullfrogs is good for conservation and culinary reasons.

Here are some things to think about for procuring and preparing fresh frog legs-

Frogging Laws

Some states require a fishing license, some states require a hunting license, and some states require both for harvesting frogs. In New York state a fishing or hunting license is required to take frogs with a spear, club, hook, or by hand and a hunting license is required to take frogs with a gun or bow. Be sure to check your local laws and rules for what license you may need and in what way you can acquire frogs. It’s also important to know your frogs! Some frogs are on the endangered species list and illegal to hunt. Bullfrogs are a safe bet and have the most meat.

Processing and Serving Tips

Bioelectricity was discovered by Luigi Galvani back in the late 1700’s when he discovered a muscle reaction in dead frog legs when touched with an electric current, causing them to twitch. If you want to avoid science experiments in your kitchen, thoroughly chill the frogs on ice and/or in the refrigerator before skinning and processing, such as overnight.

To process the frog legs, slice just the skin with kitchen shears or a sharp knife around the waist of the frog and loosen it up. Then holding the head with one hand, pull the skin down and off the feet of the frog with the other hand (pliers may help this process as well). The legs can be removed as a pair by cutting at the waist or you can remove the legs individually, cutting as close the body as possible to retain the most meat. Some people leave the feet on for cooking, while others remove them – your choice.

The recommended serving amount is about half a pound per person which could be a large pair or two of bullfrog legs or up to six leg pairs, depending on the size and (legal) type of frog. Processed frog legs can be stored in the refrigerator for a few days or frozen for up to a year if vacuum sealed. If freezing in conventional freezer bags or butcher paper the quality of the meat will be best if used within a few month and try to remove as much air from the bag as possible to avoid freezer burn.

The following recipe is a simple French-style preparation.

Simple Sautéed Frog Legs

Ingredients:

• frog legs from 4 large bull frogs
• Brine: 2Tbsp kosher salt, 1 qt. cold water, 2 crushed cloves of garlic, a few parsley sprigs
• 1/2 cup milk (optional)
• ¼ cup flour, seasoned with a pinch of salt (or Old Bay) and cracked black pepper
• 2-4 Tbsp. clarified butter or ghee (this helps prevent burning, no salt butter can be used, but will burn over very high heat)
• 1-3 clove garlic, minced
• Lemon juice from half a lemon
• 1 Tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped
• Salt & pepper to taste

Directions:

Make a brine by mixing all the brine ingredients in a glass, ceramic, or stainless-steel bowl until the salt dissolves.  Add the frog legs and place in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours up to 12. Remove the frog legs from the brine and soak them in milk (optional) for about half an hour and/or while you prep the next steps. Heat a skillet over medium high heat and add clarified butter. Lightly coat the frog legs with the seasoned flour. Add the frog legs to the melted, hot butter, and cook 6-8 minutes turning so both sides are golden brown. If not using clarified butter or ghee, cook over medium heat, making sure butter doesn’t turn dark brown and you may need to cook the legs a bit longer to cook through and get desired crispy brown color. Squeeze lemon juice over frog legs and add the garlic and parsley. Stir and sauté a few minutes more until cooked through and flavors are combined. Serves: 2. The recipe can easily be scaled up according to how many frogs you have. Frog legs are nutritious, providing lean protein, iron, phosphorous, Vitamin A, potassium, and heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids to one’s diet.