The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1894-04-03
LEGS ARE DAINTY
When Properly Cooked They Taste
Like Spring Chicken.
The Average American Does Not Care for
Them, But People with Fastidlous
Palstes Relish Them-A Fad
Of tho Hour.

Them, But People with Fastt6ious
Palates Relish Them-A Fad
Of tho Hour.
New Jersey, mosquito-ridden and
much-bantered state. has one great
point in its favor-the hind legs of the
frogs which sport in its brooks and
ponds are the most succulent in the
world. Frogs legs are dainty NOR
bel. say those who know, and, like
many another of the dishes which de-
Light the palates of New York epicures,
Tho idea of making them an eatable
was imported from France. The front
legs consist of nothing but bone, skin
and cartilage, and the meat of the hind
legs is SO scant that it makes not much
more than mouthfu1. Yet good liv-
Frs are inclined to believe the smaller
the quantity the more delicate the fla
Vor. and we have it on record that
Nero once banqueted on humming-
birds tongues, which is going the
American millionaire one better.
Frogs legs?' said dealer in fish
who supplies many of the large hotels
to a New York World man. "Yes,
bell lots of them. Eat themp Well.
not much. don't think they're fit to
Fat. Some folks think they're better'n
\ nice slice of roast turkey, but can't
understand it. Twas raised up in Con-
necticut. and the frogs used to croak
me to sleep every night in summer
when / was boy. l never thought
then would be selling thousands of
them every year for people to eat.
Those that like them say it's because
/ wasn't brought up to it, and haven't
developed my taste-and lot of stuff
Like that"
Perhaps you have never tried
them?" it was suggested.
"Yes, 1 did. People jollied me SO
much because was selling them and
wouldn't eat them that / took some
home one night. Ny wife fried
dozen. I was hungrier than bear
when j sat down to the table. Well,
those frogs legs looked like dozen
roasted slivers. / ate two of them, and
that was enough for me. All of the
while / was eating them was think
ing Of the time when j was little
boy and had been in swimming and
was lying on the sand in the sun and
q big frog jumped on to me. Mebbe
the people who think they are so good
never had frogs Shiny hind legs on
their bare stomachs."
This was one view. Mr.. Frank Work
Or some other well-known diner at Del
monico's would express an entirely diff
fercnt one.
When frogs legs first became popular
rs food an attempt was made to pre-
Serve them over the winter by means
of the cold storage process. The meat
of canvasback ducks and of many
species of rare game becomes the
sweeter by lying in frozen state for
three or four months, but frogs legs
to the same treatment lose
all of their flavor. Therefore they are
available only when the brooks and
ponds are open. The quicker the legs
are prepared after the frogs have been
killed the sweeter the meat. In May
and June they are at their best
Catching the frogs is an easy matter,
rs any small boy knows. A willy Jer.
seyman can bag several hundred in a
day. SHINING the hind legs Is very
difficult unless you know how. An ex-
perienced hand, however, will make
two dexterous cuts with his knife and
three or four twists and turns and the
thing is done, while the inexperienced
Dne will pull and haggle away for half
an hour and at the end of that time
have most of the meat as well as the
skin peeled Off
Twenty years ago." said the chef of
a leading uptown hotel, when first
came to this country, frogs legs were
seldom called for except in the French
here. Now? Obi they are
the great dish. France gave You tho
custom, you know. Obi they know
how to cook in France But l really
believe that Americans are now eating
more frogs legs than the French.
"a great many good livers, too, are
still prejudiced against them. Serve
them without telling the guest what |
no is eating and he goes into ecstasies
over the new dish. But let him know
and he will take tiny
and perhaps, if his prejudice
overcoues his Judgment, dec lare them
very bad Americans are very quick to
learn, and they're always ready TO take |
up a new thing when it is good. just |
fancy o new dish becoming so popular |
n so short time. Now you will find |
frogs legs are served in every first |
class hotel in the country.
Everything depends upon the way |
they are prepared. The more delicate |
the dish the more skillful the cook must |
be. a little too much or not quite |
enough frying will spoil the flavor,
which. you know, when they are prop
erly done, is like chicken, only sweeter
and better
Frogs legs are always fried: broiling |
destroys their flavor. There are frogs
legs fricassees, frogs legs pates, frogs
legs sautee and frogs legs plain.
AS tho supply of New Jersey frogs is
not always equal to the demand, the |
Canada frogs help them out. The latter
come from Quebec, and are about twice |
the size OF the local product. Eight /
Jersey frogs, or four Canada frogs,
make dish, although some of the
epicUres of capacity often consume
double these numbers at one eating.
Eobhy's Wish