POOR FROGIES

Frog Legs Calabrian Style

Sauteed frogs legs in a light country style tomato sauce with green beans. This is authentic Italian peasant fare. Brothy and aromatic, rich with garlic and fresh basil. Just open up a bottle of wine and break some bread and fruit cause this one will take you back to the old days in the old country.

We get frogs legs at the Chinese grocery store. They have them live. When you order them they kill and clean them for you so they are very fresh. There are good frozen frogs legs available also at Asian supermarkets. 

If you can get a hold of some frogs legs this is a very easy dish to make as most marinara pasta sauces are.

INGREDIENTS:for 4-6 servings

• 2 lbs frogs legs
• 1 lb green beans cleaned and picked and cut to half inch pieces
• 8 cloves of garlic minced
• 3 stalks of scallions chopped
• 1 stalk celery chopped fine
• 6 fresh tomatoes chopped or 1 28ox can of chopped tomatoes
• 1 bayleaf
•  1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 1 tablespoon dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
•  3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup white wine
• Salt and pepper to taste
• flour for dredging the frogs legs. 
• 1 lb spaghetti cooked aldente.
• chopped fresh flat leaf parsley for garnish.

 PROCEDURE: First pat the frogs legs dry and then sprinkle them with a little salt and pepper. put them into a plate full of flour and dredge them slightly.  Take a sauce pan large enough for the ingredients and get it hot over medium heat. Add a little oil and drop the frog legs in. Give them a a turn and then remove them and set them aside on a plate. Add the butter green beans garlic, celery, scallions, herbs and spices.  Let this brown a little and then add the wine. Cook off the alcohol a little and then add the tomatoes. Simmer this sauce until the tomatoes are cooked, about a half hour. Then return the frogs legs to the sauce and cook for another 25 mins. The sauce should be then and on the broth like side. Add water as needed and adjust salt if necessary.

Carefully remove the frogs legs to a plate and put the cooked spaghetti into the sauce and cook briefly. Toss a little then plate. Put the frogs legs on top and drizzle on more sauce.





Frog legs are delicious and I don't think they taste like chicken. I like them a lot and they are a rare treat but I just hate thinking about all of those poor frogs walking around on crutches.