Frogs Legs and Snails
To the Aztec emperors of Mexico, frogs in a hot pimento sauce were just as much of a treat as other amphibians and insects were. The ancient Chinese also regarded them as a great delicacy, and in Europe in the Middle Ages dried frog was considered to be an aphrodisiac. In recent centuries, though, it has come to be thought of – as a “poor man’s fish,” since in Spain the habit of eating frogs was considered to be something the gipsies did, as they were known to sell amphibians to make money.
However, in time frog became more acceptable, first as an emergency ration and subsequently as a Delicacy. The Spaniards in the north consumed most of the creature, and the fried skin was very highly regarded. In Castile, though, only the legs and part of the upper body were eaten. Legend has it that frogs tongues are poisonous, and so the head was removed in some regions, and in others only the front part of the head. As in France, the legs of the frog are the most popular, and eaten in many parts of Spain as part of traditional fare in restaurants.
Traditionally frogs’ legs (ancas de rana) are fried with garlic or (especially in the regions where large vegetable gardens are tended) with young vegetables and a hint of hot red paprika. Rana: en salsa verde, frogs in a green sauce made from white wine, onion, garlic, and parsley are popular in northern Spain.
Central Spain boasts three traditional recipes for frogs’ legs: with garlic and oil (al ajillo), breaded and fried (rebozados), and with tomato (en tomate).
Rice with frogs was a quite a popular dish in Castile in olden times, However, increased contamination of rivers and lakes and the careless consumption of a creature that takes five years to reach maturity have had a dramatic effect on stocks in recent years. Frog hunting is banned today but poaching is still a problem. Conservation organizations and the powers-that-be have adopted more rigorous methods, and this has meant that this traditional specialty is no longer on offer in the tapas bars. The frogs legs that are available in smart restaurants have usually come from Thailand.
Frogs’ Legs a la Provencale
1.5 lbs of frogs’ legs, rinsed an’s sponged dry
Flour
1/4 cup of olive oil
2 eggs, beaten
Salt, Pepper
1 lemon
chopped parsley mixed with 2 cloves of garlic and pounded into a paste
Much the same as with making fried chicken, season the legs, run them through flour, dip the legs in the beaten eggs and place them in hot oil .Cook high and turn them until lightly colored and crispy, about 5 minutes .Then place them on a serving tray and sprinkle with lemon juice.
Frog’s Legs à la Parisienne
16 large frog legs
boiling water
juice of 1/2 lemon
salt and pepper, a pinch of each
2 eggs, well-beaten
fine dry bread crumbs
fat, for deep frying
Onion cream sauce
2 tbsp. butter
2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
1 1/2 c. light cream
1/2 tsp.
salt
2 tbsp. minced onion
1 tbsp. minced parsley
1 egg, well-beaten
1. Blanch frog legs in boiling water with lemon juice and salt and pepper.
2. Dip legs into eggs and roll in bread crumbs. Deep fry at 370°F (190°C) for 2 to 3 minutes until legs are tender (check the temperature of the fat with a thermometer). Serve with onion sauce.Drain legs and pat dry.
SNAILS
In spring, autumn, and winter they take to vegetable fields and meadows: snail gatherers on the lookout for little shells with the delicious treats hidden inside. The vegetable growers are always pleased to see them, since they help to eliminate the problem that can decimate their crops. On the low plains of northern Spain, from Catalonia to the Basque country, snails have always been regarded as a delicacy, and most grandmothers) notebooks are full of recipes for caracoles. Higher up, in the valleys of the Pyrenees, the consumption of snails has always been looked down on, and poorer people were known derogatorily as “snail eaters.”
Although almost 40,000 types of snail are known to man, only a tiny proportion ends up in the pot. On the whole, the Spanish do not differentiate between the different types, and the ones offered for sale on the market are usually a mixture of different varieties. The most common ones are navarricas or boberos. They are smaller than most of the varieties known in Europe, have a brown shell, and are more often found in fields than in the kitchen garden. Their fondness for herbs such as thyme and tarragon makes them especially tasty. Also popular are the tiny caracol de huerta (vegetable snail), the reddish, juicy plana, and the lighter-coloured caracolina.
True connoisseurs are particularly appreciative of snails gathered in December and January, when they enjoy a kind of hibernation behind the sealed membrane of their tiny “house.” As their digestive system has slowed down for the winter, there is no need for the laborious cleaning process that involves sawdust and salt water. Summer snails are hard to digest because of their well-filled digestive tract.
The snail is a modest creature; it will put up with just about any culinary treatment, and is frequently served in or with a sauce. Many Spanish recipes for snails are quite spicy, such as snails cooked the Madrid way, with saffron and hot paprika, or caracoles a la riojina, with paprika and onions. In Catalonia, snails are eaten in spicy-sweet dishes, and with sobrasda sausage on the Balearics. It is also not unusual to find them in hotpots made with lamb or rabbit. On the Levante, rice dishes are prepared with snails, peas, and saffron, but residents of the north prefer to barbecue or broil them,
seasoned with just a drop of oil, a coarse grain of salt, and a seed from a hot chili pepper.
CONEJO CON CARACOLES
Rabbit with snails
2.2 lb/1 kg rabbit, divided into portions
Salt
Pepper
Scant ½ cup/100 ml olive oil
1 large onion, diced
4 cloves of garlic, diced
1 tbsp flour
3 cups/750 ml meat stock
1/2 cup/125 ml red wine
2 tomatoes, skinned and diced
1 bouquet garni (parsley oregano, thyme, rosemary)
2 bay leaves
1 cinnamon stick
1/2 tsp bot paprika pepper
48 small snails
1 tbsp chopped parsley
Season the rabbit portions generously with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a large cooking pot and brown the rabbit on all sides. Add the onions and garlic, and cook briefly. Sprinkle over the flour and brown slightly. Pour over the meat stock and red wine. Add the tomatoes, bouquet garni, 1 bay leaf and the cinnamon, and season with the paprika. Then cover with a lid and simmer for about 30 minutes.
Put 8 1/2 cups/ 2 litres of water, the snails, and the remaining bay leaf in another pot and heat. Once the water is boiling, cover the pot with a lid and leave to simmer on a low heat for about 10 minutes. Drain the snails and discard the bay leaf Now put the snails in with the rabbit and leave everything to bubble gently for another 10 minutes. Then remove the bouquet garni, the bay leaf and the cinnamon stick. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and garnish with the chopped parsley before serving.
suppers and buffets with Bill & Sheila
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