WEIRD FOODS - Frog's legs, anyone?

The meal choices so far in Weird Foods have been, ahem, interesting. So let's hope that, these go down a little easier

Some Jamaicans are terrified of frogs and toads but in some parts of the world, frog's legs are an absolute delicacy, especially in France. The first mention of them in Europe comes around the 12th century but records show they were eaten as far back as the first century AD in China.

• A typical recipe for Frog's Legs

Ingredients

12 frog's legs

2 eggs

lemon juice

2 parsley sprigs, chopped

dried breadcrumbs

salt

pepper

oil

Method Preheat oven at 375 F.

Remove frog's legs' skin. Wash and drain.

Add lemon juice, salt and pepper.

Beat eggs in a bowl, add chopped parsley.

Soak frog's legs in the eggs.

Crush bread into tiny crumbs.

Roll frog's legs into crumbs.

Add oil in a pan.

Fry frog's legs in the oven for three to four minutes.

• Sautéed Frog's Legs

Ingredients

1 lb frog's legs

6 mushrooms

6 water chestnuts

4 tbs oil

1 clove garlic

3 slices ginger

2 stalks scallions, chopped fine

1 tbs sherry

1 small green pepper

Thickening:

¹/³ cup chicken stock mixed with

1 tsp sugar

1 tsp cornstarch

2 tbs water

Method Soak the mushrooms in half a cup of hot water for 30 minutes, stem and slice them thin.

Peel the water chestnuts and slice thin.

Cut the frog's legs into two

Heat a pan with the oil and when it is very hot add the garlic and ginger and stir once.

Add the frog's legs and sauté for two minutes, stirring constantly.

Add the scallions and sherry and continue to cook for another two minutes.

Discard the garlic and ginger, remove the legs and keep warm.

Cut the green pepper into one inch squares, and add to the hot pan.

Add the mushrooms and water chestnuts, and sauté together for two minutes.

Remove the vegetables

Add thickening to the hot oil, and cook over medium heat until thick.

Add the legs and vegetables and cook for two minutes, stirring constantly.

Serve immediately.

Frog fanatics say it tastes like chicken, which leads us to the second animal this week, snakes.

The slithery reptiles are also renowned for their chicken-like taste. Some groups in China and Vietnam have a long history of eating snakes, which are considered an aphrodisiac. Rattlesnakes are eaten in certain parts of the south-western United States and other types are eaten as close to us as Guyana.

• Snake Easters Stew

Gather and dice vegetables.

Remove head, skin and organs of snake.

Dice meat.

Add water enough to just cover ingredients.

Season to taste with local seasonings.

Bring to boil, allow to simmer off of flame for five to 10 minutes.

Bar-B-Q'd Rattler

Ingredients

1 rattlesnake, cut into two-inch

steaks

¹/² cup teriyaki sauce

¹/² cup honey

1 tbs fresh ground ginger

sesame seeds

Method:

In a bowl, mix the teriyaki sauce, honey and ginger.

Pour marinade into a large Ziplock bag and add the snake steaks.

Squeeze out the air and seal.

Refrigerate for at least three hours.

Remove the steaks and roll in sesame seeds.

Place on hot grill and cook over medium heat until done.

Sources: http://hubpages.com, www.cuisine-france.com, www.guardian.co.uk, www.ifood.tv and /www.backwoodsbound.com