No Man's Land Frog Legs

This recipe represents a further dive into what was once known as No Man's Land, an area in western Louisiana that, for a brief period, was free from the law and order of the times. Many people of differing races, national origins and backgrounds settled there. Cajuns and Creoles looking to establish farms; enslaved Africans seeking freedom. As they settled, they broght their own cultures and traditions, which were able to continue to develop on their own. 

In a nod to the diversity of this time and region, I took a standard creole seasoning and introduced some elements from other cultures in the area. Most notably, I added sundried tomato powder and ground crawfish powder, both of which can be traced to the knowledge and skills that enslaved Africans brought with them to thois country. 

Building upon the layers and depth created by this cultural diversity, I sought to use my No Man's Land seasoning in dishes from the region. The first such dish involved an ingredient that has an iconic place in French cuisine, which is the backbone of both Cajun and Creole cuisine. That ingredient is frog's legs. There is a long history of frog's legs recipes generally, as well as in particular with respect to both the cuisine of the Acadians and enslaved Africans in Louisana.

I tried to find some background or history surrounding the preparation and consumption of frog's legs in what was No Man's Land. My efforts met with little success. However, there is a much broader history of frog's legs in the State of Louisiana, particularly in the Acadia Parish. There is the town of Rayne, which proudly boasts of being the "frog capital of the world." French immigrants who settled in the town brought their culinary tradition of preparing and eating frog's legs, which flourished with the large numbers of frogs in the surrounding areas. The local residents soon began farming frogs, and harvesting the legs, not just for local consumption but also for restaurants in New Orleans and elsewhere. By the 1920s, frog legs from Rayne made it as far as New York City and even to France.

Turning to the recipe, it is a basic frog's legs recipe. I substituted the No Man's Land seasoning for cajun or creole seasoning. As for the preparation, the recipe calls for a basic pan saute of frog's legs, which have been dredged in a combination of corn meal and flour. I still have to work on the dredging and ensuring that it stays on the frog's legs, but it was not a bad effort.

NO MAN'S LAND FROG LEGS

Recipe adapted from a few sources

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 12 pairs frog legs
• 2 cups buttermilk or milk
• 1/4 cup Crystal hot sauce or Tabasco sauce) or to taste
• 2 cups flour
• 2/3 cup corn meal
• 2 tablespoons No Man's Land Seasoning (with dried crawfish powder)
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon cayenne
• 2 eggs
• Peanut oil, if frying

Directions:

1. Prepare the frog legs. Combine the buttermilk or milk with the hot sauce. Add the frogs legs and soak for 1 hour. Remove and pat dry. 

2. Prepare the breading. Combine the flour and corn meal, mix thoroughly. Season with salt and pepper. Beat the two eggs and then add the creole seasoning, garlic powder and cayenne powder.

3. Fry the frog legs. Heat the oil to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Fry the legs 4-5 minutes per side. Alternatively, heat an air fryer to 350 degrees. Fry the frog legs for 9-10 minutes or until fully cooked ( that is, an internal temperature of 145 degrees Fahrenheit).

PEACE.

Around the World in 80 Dishes: Dominica

There is an old saying in the Caribbean, "nicknames are used in case the Devil comes asking for you." That may explain why many of the islands have nicknames. There is "Spice Island" (Grenada), "Helen of the West Indies" (St. Lucia), "Little England" (Barbados), and the "Island of Flowers" (Martinique). There is also "Nature Isle." This is the nickname for the Commonwealth of Dominica; or, as the indigenous Kalinago people refer to the island, Waitukubuli, which translates to "tall is her body." 

Both Waitukubuli and "Nature Isle" are apt descriptions for the little island, which have some of the tallest peaks -- like Morns Diablotins and Mount Trois Pitons -- in the Caribbean.  Those peaks rise out of and are covered by rainforests that are the homes for many rare species of animals, birds and plants.  The island also boasts of  365 rivers, such as the Indian River and the Rosalie River. And, then there are the beaches, the blue waters and the coral reefs. 

As much as I love nature, this post takes me to the towns and villages to learn more about the people, culture and their cuisine. Dominica has had a rather unique history, which has been shaped by resistance and colonialism. When the Spanish attempted to colonize the island, they met resistance from the indigenous Kalinago peoples. The French were more successful, establishing a permanent colony followed by sugar and coffee plantations.  The French also brought slaves from Africa, and, eventually, people of African descent were the majority of those living on the island.  The British ultimately seized control of the island and Dominica became a British colony.  The British enacted the Slavery Abolition Act in 1833.  Almost five years later, Dominica was the first colony in the British West Indies to have a legislature comprised of a majority of citizens of African descent. Needless to say, the white plantation owners had issues with that situation, which led to a less representative government. It would not be until 1967 when Dominica was able to take full control of its internal affairs and until 1978 when it became an independent country. 

A view of Roseau, the capitol of Dominica (photo by Mike LaMonaca).

This history, as briefly outlined above, shapes the cultures and cuisine of the Dominican people.  There is a mix of African and indigenous influences, along with British, French and island Creole.  There are also influences from nearby islands, such as Trinidad and St. Lucia.  

MAIN COURSE

Dominica's (unofficial) national dish is known as Mountain Chicken. Despite the name, chicken is not an ingredient in that dish. "Mountain chicken" is the local moniker for the Caribbean's largest frog, which also goes by the names of Crapaud. Herpetologists -- that is, those who study reptiles and amphibians would refer to these frogs as Leptodactylus Fallax.  This frog can grow as large as seven inchs long and weigh over two pounds. That is a good size if one is a frog.

The Mountain Chicken
(source: Natural Museum of History)

The mountain chicken has an important place in the culture of the indigenous peoples of Dominica. Local folklore, songs, poems and even jokes have been written about the frog.  

Some of those works of art tell the story of the mountain chicken, especially what confronts the species.  For example, poet Delroy N. Williams wrote The Crapaud Story, which begins as follows: 

De sey de Crapaud smoked my pipe

but me doh hear no Crapaud last night

An long I doh eat no Crapaud in a stew.

I doh even hear anybody talking about that frog.

Something must definitely be wrong.

To be sure, there is definitely something wrong.  Years of hunting the frog -- with anywhere from 18,000 to 36,000 be caught per year on Dominica -- combined with natural factors, such as a fungus that causes chytridiomycosis, caused a steep decline in the populations of the mountain chicken.  The fungus and its disease is believed to have caused a decline of nearly 80% in 18 months. The situation became so dire, that mountain chicken were no longer seen in the wild. By 2008, people believed the species may have went extinct. Returning to the poem: 

It was once our national emblem

Now reduced to the crannies of de "Station."

If somebody doh talk den nobody go listen

So I glad dat Machel an dem doing something

Cuz de Crapaud is Domincia's blessing.

Dat fungus come out from nowhere

An got us forgetting Crapaud is our heritage. 

We cyah just give up, dat would leave Crapaud in a sad state.

De Chyrid ting is very dangerous

Been around for just a decade

Got Crapaiud in decadence.

Fortunately, people did step up to save the mountain chicken. There has been a study in which the frogs were treated with an anti-fungal drug, which showed some promise. There have also been efforts by the Dominican government and non-profit organizations to protect the species.  These efforts have had some mixed success, but still provide promise to restoring the mountain chicken populations.  As the poem closes: 

From our forests an even our minds

Look we even searching for a new national dish

Want to remove Crapaud from its podium of pride

An reduce it to jus hindsight

But Crapaud stronger dan we think

An wit a likle help fromForestry

Dat frog go leap back unto its pedetal

We go hear Crapaud sing again

We go hear Crapaud after a shower of rain

An den we go really understand.

Cuz de Crapaud is Domincia's blessing.

Dat fungus come out from nowhere

An got us forgetting Crapaud is our heritage. 

The hope in this poem is important.  While some may have to make sacrifices by foregoing their (unofficial) national dish, that effort, combined with scientists and researchers, may provide the basis for that hope to become a reality. 

Turning to my personal culinary challenge, I obviously did not use mountain chicken to make this dish.  Instead, I purchased some frog legs from a local grocery store. That was the easiest part of the preparation.  I had a little more difficulty getting my hands on the "provisions," because not every grocery store has true yams and none of the stores around me had dasheen root. After searching for a while, I decided to make "provisions" with what I could get at the store.  I ultimately used sweet potatoes (which are not yams) and name root. 

The actual preparation of this dish is very easy. It is a simple sauté of the frog legs, a basic gravy, and a simple boil of the provisions.  These processes made me question whether the dish will have any taste. (I have to admit that I am not a big fan of root vegetables, especially if all that is done to them is to boil them.) Nevertheless, I forged ahead and completed the main dish. 

MOUNTAIN CHICKEN WITH PROVISIONS

Recipe from National Foods

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 12-16 frogs' legs
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1 lime, sliced in half
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1 teaspoon vinegar
• 1 onion, sliced
• 1 green bell pepper sliced
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 cup water
• 2 dasheen roots (cut into 4 pieces)
• 2 yams (cut into 4 pieces)
• 1/4 teaspoon fresh thyme, minced
• Salt, to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Prepare the frogs' legs.  Rinse the frogs' legs with water and then wash them in lime juice. Rinse the frogs' legs again in cold water.  Dry the frogs' legs and then place them in a bowl.  Season the frogs' legs with the thyme, vinegar, minced garlic, salt and pepper. Let the frogs' legs rest for two hours. 

2. Fry the frogs' legs. Put the flour in a shallow dish and coat each leg in the flour.  Heat the oil on high in a skillet.  Fry the coated frogs' legs until golden brown and set aside.

3.  Prepare the gravy.  Sauté the onion in a mixture of melted butter and one tablespoon of oil.  Add a cup of water, bring to a boil and then add flour to thicken the gravy.  Simmer the gravy for 5 minutes on medium heat.  Add the frog legs to the gravy, cook for a minute and turn off the heat. 

4. Prepare the provisions. Boil the yams and dasheen root in salted water with the green pepper. When the provisions are fork tender, turn off the heat and drain. 

5. Finish the dish. Serve the Mountain Chicken with the provisions, rice and peas. 

*    *    *

In the end, I successfully completed this challenge.  I was quite surprised by the end result.  The gravy provided enough additional flavor to work with not only the frog legs, but also the provisions.  It is a reminder that sometimes the most simplest elements can contribute the most. 

Now, I need to turn to my next challenges.  There is definitely more to come.  Until then, 

ENJOY!

Detroit-Style Frog Legs

Sam Blythe, a columnist for the New York World, once wrote, "if you have never eaten frog legs in Detroit, you have something to live for, something for which to strive."  He wrote those words in 1905.  A mere five years later, according to Bill Loomis in his article When Frogs were King, "Detroit produced, shipped and consumed 12 tons of frog legs, 6 million pairs of legs (called saddles)."  Bill Loomis also noted that hotels in Detroit served 800 dozen saddles per day back at that time.  That is a lot of frog legs.  So much so that, one year later, the New York Times reported the seemingly obvious: "Detroit is famous for frog legs."  

That frog legs would feature prominently in the cuisine of Detroit does make some sense. After all, Detroit was originally settled by the French.  The Canadian French would head out on the hottest days of the summer along the banks of the St. Claire Flats or the marshes at Monroe near Lake Erie.  The fishermen used a variety of means to catch the frogs, such as tiny "cat and rat" shotguns with mustard seed shot or  a fishing line with a red flannel cloth as a lure (apparently bull frogs were attracted to that lure).  Some used frogging forks, spears and even clubs.  If one knew what he or she was doing, that person could catch as many as 200 frogs per day. 

Given those hauls, it is no wonder that the frog legs were found on many a menu at restaurants and roadhouses around Detroit.  Its introduction into Detroit cuisine was bottom up.  It first appeared on the plates of working class people, prepared in a very simple way.  The saddles were just dipped in milk, then flour and pan-sauteed in butter, and finished with some lemon juice and parsley.  That's it.  If you happened to be at one of the roadhouses around Detroit, which served more rugged and casual food, the cooks used crushed soda crackers for the breading before sauteing the frog legs in butter.  A diner could get a meal for just 20 cents, and, often times, it was an all-you-can-eat buffet of frog legs. 

Eventually, the saddles found their way onto plates placed on white tablecloths.  They also were prepared in a variety of ways.  According to Bill Loomis, Michigan cookbooks included recipes for frog leg salad, frog leg ravioli, picked frog legs, and a frog leg pie.

There were even criteria for what were the best frogs for cooking. The rule was that frogs had to be between 2 and 5 years old.  The problem is that it is fairly difficult to tell a frog's age.  (After all, the frog is not going to volunteer it to you.)  What is perhaps more likely is that the best frogs were determined by their size.  If the frog was too large (and presumably too old), its leg meat would be too tough with a fishy taste.  

However, too much of a good thing is definitely not good, especially for the frogs.  Over-frogging led to declines in the population around the Detroit area.   Even at its height during the first decade of the twentieth century, there were complaints about a dwindling numbers of frogs.  Demand had far exceeded the supply. There were efforts to stave off that decline.  For example, a law was introduced in 1913 that banned the hunting, sale, storage and service of frog legs at restaurants from June to November.  While hotels and restaurants in the city obeyed the law, the roadhouses did not.  Cooks at the roadhouses sold the frog legs under the counter.  Those roadhouses were too dependent upon the sale of frog leg dinners to stop serving them for five or six months a year.  It is recounted that, in 1915, a deputy game warden placed phony orders from roadhouses and returned with 1,000 dinners.   Demand and, eventually, pollution did the frogs in.  

Despite the fall of the frogs in Detroit, one can still find frog legs on menus at local restaurants.  Those frogs are not from the marshes at Monroe or the banks of St. Claire Flats.  Instead, the frogs are imported from India, Indonesia or Vietnam.

That is probably where the frog legs came from for this dish  I found frozen legs at my local Asian grocery store and thought I had to make a dish with them.  That is how I found the Detroit-Style Frog Legs.  An ingredient and a simple Google search resulted in an educational experience and a delicious dinner.  What a time that we live in!

DETROIT-STYLE FROG LEGS

Recipe from Hour Detroit Magazine

Serves 2

Ingredients:

4 frog legs

1 cup of milk

1 cup of flour

4 tablespoons butter

1/4 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped

1 lemon, juiced
1 lemon, cut into wedges
Kosher salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:

1.  Saute the frog legs. Dip the frog legs in milk, then in flour and saute them slowly over medium heat until golden brown all over, about 6 to 8 minutes.

2.  Finish the dish.  Remove the frog legs to a hot serving dish, season with salt and black pepper.  Sprinkle with the lemon juice and garnish with the finely chopped parsley.  Pour what is left of the browned butter in the frying pan over the frog legs and garnish the dish with a slice of lemon.

If you want to learn more about the history and role of frog legs in the cuisine of Detroit, check out the Hour Detroit article written by Bill Loomis, the Spendid Table interview of Bill Loomis, or one of his books.

ENJOY!

Grenouille à la Provençale

After seeing a sign for frog legs at a local restaurant, Tubby asks himself, "Gosh, frogs' legs for sale. Imagine that! I wonder what people do with them. Well, it won't hurt to ask."  Tubby walks into the restaurant and inquires what people do with frog legs.  The answer ... we eat them!  This scene comes from the aptly named movie, Frog's Legs (1962).  

I have been in a few restaurants that served frog legs and have never felt the need to ask what people do with them.  I know to eat them, because, when done right, they are very delicious.  The best frog legs that I have ever had was a dish called Cuisses de Grenouille a l'Ail et au Persil, served at Le Bistro du Beaujolais.  Large frog legs, cooked with garlic, parsley and white wine, and served in a mesclun salad. I am salivating right now thinking about it. (Le Bistro du Beaujolais serves probably some of the best French food that I have ever had and it is always on the short list of Cleveland-area restaurants that I strive to visit whenever I am in the area.)  The frog legs were so delicious that I have been wanting to make frog legs for quite some time.

The only problem was finding the ingredient.  I had no desire to go gigging for frogs.  Gigging -- which involves using a gig or small spear to hunt frogs -- is usually done at night.   I like to sleep at night.  And, besides, I do not think gigging frogs is legal in Maryland.  So, I would search for the amphibians at the grocery stores, but to no avail ... until very recently.  I found frog legs at a local Asian store.  While everyone associates frog legs with French cuisine, they are also a popular ingredient in Chinese cooking.  So, I picked up a package of frozen frog legs and headed home.

I thought about making frog legs as I enjoyed them at Le Bistro du Beaujolais; however, I wanted a recipe to use as a guide, because this was the first time that I was cooking with this ingredient.  I found a recipe for Grenouille à la Provençale on Food Network's website.  Christophe Marguin provided the recipe that presumably is used in his restaurant, Marguin Restaurante, in Les Echets en Dombes, France, which is just outside of Lyon, France.

This dish turned out well, but it is was not as good as the frog legs that I had at Le Bistro du Beaujolais.  Still, it was great to cook with a new ingredient for the first time.  

GRENOUILLE A LA PROVENCALE

Recipe from Christophe Marguin of Marguin Restaurante in

Les Echets en Dombes, France, available at Food Network

Serves 1

Ingredients:

1/2 pound of frogs' legs

Salt

Ground white pepper

All purpose flour

1/4 pound unsalted butter
1 clove of garlic, diced
1 tablespoon of fresh flat leaf Italian parsley

Directions:
1. Prepare the frogs' legs.  Season frog legs with salt and white pepper. Dust the frog legs with flour.

2.  Saute the frogs' legs.  Heat a large saute pan with butter over medium heat.  Add frog legs and saute until golden brown, approximately 3 to 4 minutes. Turn over and brown other side, approximately 3 to 4 minutes. Add garlic and parsley and cook for an additional 30 seconds. Serve immediately.

3.  Plate the dish.  Plate the legs.  Spoon some of the garlic and parsley over the legs.

PAIRING THIS RECIPE

The Brotherhood of Frog Thigh Tasters (yes, there is a brotherhood, they host the yearly frog leg festival known as the Vittel Frog Fair in eastern France) recommends that frog legs be paired with a Riesling.  It is not hard to see why.  The light fruity wine pairs well with the flesh of the frog legs.  In addition, one does not have to go too far from Lyon, France to find some good Riesling wines.  The Alsace region produces some very good Riesling wines. 

ENJOY!