Now folks, it’s that time of year when I begin growing a hunger for frog! I’m tellin’ you, fill up a platter of fried legs with a pot of hominy grits on the side with some cornbread and iced tea and you’ll have a Southern meal fit for a king! But, how’s the best way to go about gathering up the main ingredient for a frog fry? Well, that’s a bit of a subjective answer as some ways are certainly more efficient than others, but efficiency aside, my idea of the best way is the way which is most fun…. to jump in and grab ‘em old school, with your bare hands.
A good light is the most important tool for frogging. A powerful flashlight works well, but headlamps are even better, as they let you keep your hands free. Once you spot your frog at a distance, don’t shine him again until you’re ready to put the final approach on him. From there, keep the beam directly on the frog’s eyes. A shadow cast from a hand or gig handle carelessly pulled through the light’s beam will spook a big frog, so be aware not to let any part of you or your gear into the beam.
Once you’ve collected a big mess of frogs, cleaning them for the pan is a simple endeavor with the right tools. I like a pair of lineman’s scissors, a sharp Case pocketknife and a pair of pliers. I snip the hind legs off the frog just above the hip, so they stay together, and make an inch-long cut on the thigh of each leg. After that, it’s no big trick to grab the skin with the pliers and pull it off. Some people like to snip the feet off, but there is a tiny bite of meat on the foot and besides, when I was a kid, watching them feet kicking and jumping in the skillet was kinda cool. So, if you want to snip the feet off, go ahead; but I expect that mine are staying on.
Fried Frog Legs
2 to 2 1/2 pounds small frog legs
1/3 cup lemon juice
crushed ice
1/3 cup milk
2 eggs – separated
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
salt and pepper
2 cups all-purpose flour
vegetable oil for deep frying
Wash your frog legs thoroughly then put them in a large bowl; sprinkle with lemon juice and cover with crushed ice. Stick ‘em in the fridge for an hour or two.
Stir in together really well, milk, egg yolks, and 2 teaspoons oil.
Sprinkle them frog legs with a little salt and pepper, the dip each one in the milk-egg mixture before dredging it in the flour. Heat up the vegetable oil in a deep-fryer or skillet to 375° before putting in your legs, then fry them legs until they’re golden brown. When you pull them out of the oil, set them onto a plate covered in paper towels to drain.
I can’t tell you how much I appreciate hearing from so many of you each week. I surely thank you for all of your input and as always, if you have any feedback, give me a shout at [email protected].
God Bless and Good Hunting!
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Toby Benoit is a best selling novelist and professional outdoorsman with thirty-five years of experience guiding and outfitting for big game all across America. Toby is a renowned archer and turkey hunting expert who manufactures custom game calls and is a regular judge at NWTF sanctioned turkey calling events across the Southeast.
