Regular Foods · Dinner · by Bramble
Bramble's Fenfire Frog Legs
Ginger-Basil Sautéed Frog Legs
Garlic, fresh ginger, basil, and a lightly thickened savory pan sauce give this lean protein plenty of flavor without breading or deep frying. Frog legs are springy and can be fibrous, so this belongs to Regular Foods / after recovery only. Use frog meat, soy, shellfish, wheat-containing sauces, and the finished texture only when cleared by your care team. Remove every bone before eating, inspect carefully for fragments, take small bites, chew thoroughly, and stop when comfortably satisfied.
- Total time
- 1 hr 25 min, including marinating
- Yield
- About 4 small servings; verify the cooked edible yield by weight
- Serving
- 3 ounces cooked meat, completely removed from the bones
- Texture
- Moist and lightly glazed with a springy, gently fibrous bite
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds cleaned frog legs, completely thawed
- 1 tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce, divided
- 2 teaspoons olive oil or avocado oil
- 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
- 2 teaspoons finely grated fresh ginger
- 1/3 cup no-salt-added chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon oyster sauce
- 1 tablespoon Shaoxing rice wine or dry sherry, or additional broth
- 1/4 teaspoon granulated zero-calorie sweetener, optional
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon cold water
- Black pepper to taste, optional
Directions
- 1
Pat the frog legs dry. Toss them with 2 teaspoons of the soy sauce in a covered container. Refrigerate for 1 hour; do not marinate at room temperature.
- 2
Whisk together the remaining 1 teaspoon soy sauce, chicken broth, oyster sauce, rice wine or sherry, and optional sweetener. In a separate small cup, stir the cornstarch and cold water until smooth.
- 3
Remove the frog legs from the marinade, discard the used marinade, and lightly pat away excess surface moisture.
- 4
Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and ginger; cook for about 30 seconds, stirring constantly, just until fragrant.
- 5
Add the frog legs in one uncrowded layer, working in two batches if needed. Sauté for 3 to 4 minutes per side, until lightly golden. Return every piece to the skillet before adding the sauce.
- 6
Pour in the broth mixture and add the basil. Bring to a gentle simmer. Stir the cornstarch slurry again, then add it gradually while gently turning the frog legs. Simmer for 2 to 4 minutes, until the sauce lightly coats the meat and several of the largest pieces reach 165°F / 74°C in the thickest portion without the thermometer touching bone.
- 7
Rest for 3 minutes. Carefully remove the meat from every bone and inspect it for small bone fragments. Weigh 3 ounces of cooked, deboned meat for one reference serving and spoon over only enough sauce to keep it moist.
- 8
Refrigerate leftovers in a shallow covered container within 2 hours and keep at 40°F / 4°C or colder. Use within 3 to 4 days. Reheat covered with a spoonful of broth until the meat reaches 165°F / 74°C.
PER SERVING
Nutrition
- Protein
- 19g
- Calories
- 120
- Carbs
- 3g
- Fat
- 3g
- Fiber
- 0g
- Sugar
- 1g
- Sodium
- 330mg
Editorial estimate per 3 ounces of cooked, completely deboned meat, based on USDA FoodData Central raw frog-leg data plus representative reduced-sodium soy sauce, oyster sauce, oil, broth, rice wine, and cornstarch. Contains soy and shellfish; soy sauce and oyster sauce may contain wheat. Frog-leg size, bone weight, retained sauce, product labels, and final cooked yield can change every displayed value.
Source: Inspired by Food.com's Saute Frog Legs recipe submitted by David04; independently reformulated and worded with reduced-sodium soy sauce, no-salt-added broth, less oyster sauce, less cornstarch, a smaller reference serving, complete deboning, and an optional zero-calorie sweetener.
PASS THE PLATE