I don’t think chef Donald Link knew what a sensation he was going to cause when he changed a beloved appetizer from chicken wings to frogs’ legs tossed with this irresistible herbed butter. Fines herbes is a combination of very finely chopped herbs, such as parsley, tarragon, chives, and chervil, but you can use just one or two of the herbs if you’d like. Although we use fresh Louisiana frogs’ legs whenever we can, these are awfully good even with the more readily available frozen variety. The meat is delicate and tender, and doesn’t really taste like chicken …
Recipe information
Yield
makes 4 servings
Ingredients
Fines Herbes Butter
Frogs’ Legs
Preparation
Fines Herbes Butter
Step 1
Place the butter in a bowl and stir in fines herbes, hot sauce, cayenne, garlic, and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper. Taste, and adjust the seasoning.
Frogs’ Legs
Step 2
Heat 2 inches of oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot or deep skillet over medium-high heat.
Step 3
While the oil is heating, rinse the frogs’ legs and pat dry with paper towels. Combine the flour with a light sprinkling of salt and pepper in a pie tin or plate. Pour the buttermilk into a wide, shallow bowl. Coat the legs with seasoned flour, then dip in buttermilk, then coat again with flour. Shake off excess flour.
Step 4
When the oil is hot (about 350°F), fry the frogs’ legs in batches (to avoid overcrowding) until golden brown, 4–5 minutes (cook chicken wings a bit longer, for about 7 minutes). Use tongs to remove the legs from the oil, and drain them on paper towels for 1 minute. Place the hot legs in a large serving bowl and toss with Fines Herbes Butter. Serve immediately.
