Fried Frog Legs

Every year as my son's birthday draws near, I ask him what he would like for his birthday dinner. I wasn't expecting to hear "frog legs" this year, but that's exactly what he wanted! He tried frog legs at a nearby Chinese buffet and liked them. They stopped serving frog legs a while ago at the buffet, so my son thought it would be nice to have them for his birthday.

First, I had to find some frog legs. Maybe frog legs are easier to find in the south than in the Northeast? There are some websites that will ship frog legs to your home, but I was unsure how well that would work and it can be pricey. I finally found frog legs in my area at Wholey's in Pittsburgh, yeah!

Next, I had to figure out how to cook them. I searched and found a few recipes. I went with a basic fried frog leg recipe, but changed it slightly by using bread crumbs and buttermilk. I also made my tasty Oven Crispy Chicken Wings for those that wanted to pass on the frog legs. :)

Recipe Link
Ingredients
2 lbs. frog legs (about 7-10)
1/4 cup bread crumbs
1/4 cup yellow corn meal
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 Tablespoon ground black pepper
1 egg
1/3 cup buttermilk or milk
3 cups oil for frying (I used canola oil, peanut oil would be good, too)
Directions
1. If your frog legs are frozen, thaw in a bowl of cool water or overnight in the refrigerator.
2. Combine the dry ingredients in a shallow dish: bread crumbs, yellow corn meal, flour, salt, onion powder and black pepper.
3. In another dish, whisk together egg and milk
4. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Oil should be about 1/2 inch deep.
5. Dip frog legs into egg mixture, then into flour mixture. Add to hot oil and fry about 5 minutes per side or until golden brown and done. If legs brown too quickly, reduce heat to medium.
6. Drain on paper towels on a baking sheet. Cover with foil to keep warm while cooking other frog legs. Once finished, serve immediately.

Adapted from Allrecipes

I have everything lined up: thawed frog legs, egg/buttermilk mixture, flour/bread crumb/corn meal mixture, large skillet with hot oil and baking sheet lined with paper towels. I'm ready to go!

Dip frog leg into milk mixture...

then, dip into the flour/bread crumb/corn meal mixture

Carefully drop into the hot oil

Let fry about 5 minutes on each side

When done, place on paper towels to absorb any extra oil and cover with foil to keep warm

The Results...
Most importantly, the birthday boy approved of these frog legs! My husband also liked them and told me I did a good job. Two of my girls even liked them. I personally tasted one leg and if you like frog legs, then I think you'll like this simple fried recipe. I'm not a fan of frog legs. They taste like fishy chicken to me and I'd rather just have chicken. I served these frog legs with garlic mashed potatoes, fresh green beans and Frosted Lemonade.

Mission accomplished! Our frog leg birthday dinner was a success. Happy Birthday to my first born!