The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1872-08-31 00:00:00

FROGS 1. OR THE TABLE.

The New York Times etate4 that frogs are annonnced
on the billieof f are of the prominent restaurants of that
city, and are becoming a favourite dish among the
epicures, and gourmands whose purse' correspond to
their tastes.

Of the dozen or more varieties common to the United
States and Europe, only two or three are considered
edilge and tiaed as food by man. The celebrated edilde
frog, or green frog of Europe, which the naturalists
call rana eseulenta, is the greatest favourite, and tie
most sought after in the European countries. In ti,e
United States the species called bull-frogs and shad-
frogs are about the only kinds which are used for
culinary purposes. The European edible frog is of a
bright green colour above, with black spots, three
yellow stripes along the bask. and of • yellowish colour
underneath. The American bull-frog is familiar to
almost everybody, and somewhat resembles the common
European frog.
As a general rule, only the hind quarters of the frog
are eaten, but in Germany every s= with the *seep-
ties of the intestines and skin, is • use of as food.
Many wow will not eat frogs, believing that they
are umt, Leahli , no have hesitation in
id wales or whisk hod spas tie rshiPartk&
nal ma* IA illoo gratin Tie fleds

of the frog is very white and tender, nutritious,
and delicately flavoured, and when nicely cooked
is one of the most dainty dishes which the gustatory
sense of an epicure could desire, surpassing in doh-
cacy any fish, flesh, or fowL They are cooked ia
various Ways in all of winch their Wltalifift deileaCy is
apparent. They can be made Into a broth, fried,
stewed, or fricasseed, as, the eater may desire, but mo
people who eat them prefer to have them dried. The
manner in which they are fried at the prosuinent re-
staurants is very simple. The legs, after beine well
skinned, are parboiled for about five minutes in slightly
salted water; they are then plunged into cold water
for a few moments and are taken out to drain, after
which they are placed in a hot pan and fried in the
I usual way. The broth can be made imam- same way
I as chicken or beef broth. _ _ _

_
The season for frogs tends from March until Nos
vembi r. They are in the beet condition for table use
in the Fall, jast before going iuto winter quarters,
although more are eaten in the spring I early part
of the summer, because they carvlsscasghtinuch easier
at that season of the year, They are caught in various
ways—by means of into, books, and, the like, and
sometimes by beating them with long poles as they sit
on the blinks of the streams and ponds. A hook and
line, baited with an mac :t, or covered with a piece of
red flannel, serves as a CoMi tempt,. r to the frog., who
will generally seize it without hesitation or dill-lenity.
Alter liciugcaught they are preserved in here frogl.nas,
or froggeries, as they are called, uutil they are required
for the market. There are a number of them froggeries
on Long Island, in Westchester County, mei in New
Jersey, whence the city markets are supplied. The
pruprietom of these froggeries send the frogs to maiket
at regular intervals, and they are kept alive until the
customers purchase them. The principal.plAces where
they are sold in quantities in New York are Futton,
Catharine, and Washington markets, where they can
be obtained from a number of fish dealers. The prices
range from 50 mute to 2 dols. per &yen, according to
the size, appearance, and. nuality ; but when they
reach the restaurants their VfNe beottintss much greater,
depending upon the purees and appetites of the cus-
tomers.