Nachos. Really, what more do we need to say? Nachos are awesome. This is one of the immutable Truths of the universe. They can be as simple as a pile of chips with melted cheese and a few jalapeno slices, or as complex as you care to make them, loaded down with seasoned meat, beans, salsa, sour cream, and virtually anything else you care to pile on. It really doesn’t matter which route you go, you will invariably end up with an empty plate in short order. It’s just how things work.
Now frog legs, on the other hand… well, they are awesome, too. However, many people just aren’t willing to take that on faith. Walk into a room full of people and announce that you just ate a pig, chicken, or catfish, and not a soul will bat an eye. Mention eating a frog, though, and someone will inevitably crinkle up their nose and start making fake retching noises. Ask them if they have ever tried it for themselves, and the answer will most likely be no, often with a vehement declaration that they never will. But look past those poor, misguided souls and you are likely to see others nodding in appreciation, their knowing smiles revealing that they, too, understand just how awesome frog can be.
To be honest, it was only a couple of years ago that Chele and I had both had frog legs for the first time. I had never been adverse to trying them. I somehow just simply hadn’t found an opportunity until recently. Chele and I had spotted them in the seafood freezers at the local Tony’s Fresh Market on a few occasions. After several conversations while walking past them on how neither of us had eaten them but both wanted to try them, we finally decided it was time to stop talking and start eating. We started simple, and just pan-seared them in butter with a little salt and pepper. And they were AMAZING. We were instantly hooked, and knew we would be keeping them in our repertoire.
And then one day, not too long ago, a thought popped into my head. I turned to Chele and blurted out, “I think we should make frog leg nachos”.
She immediately wanted to know why we weren’t dropping what we were doing and making them right that very moment. Reluctantly, she conceded that we would, in fact, need to go buy the ingredients before we could start cooking. But once that was out of the way, our first batch of frog leg nachos took shape very quickly, and then was reduced to an empty plate even more quickly.
We opted for the “loaded nachos” approach, and piled on refried beans, Chihuahua cheese, peppers, salsa, sour cream, avocado, and fresh cilantro. We selected some of our own Tomatillo Pasilla Salsa and Pickled Habanada Peppers with Shallots and Lime Peel for this recipe, and highly recommend that you use these as well for the full experience. The sweet, citrusy flavors marry quite nicely with the frog.. Naturally, feel free to substitute another salsa and pepper if you aren’t able to source everything for those recipes (or are simply looking to save time). Or go ahead and add whatever else you think you might like. These are nachos, after all! You know they are going to be awesome.
Frog Leg Nachos
Ingredients
- 1 lb frog legs about 6 pairs
- 2 tbsp butter
- salt and pepper
- ½ cup refried beans
- ½ cup Chihuahua cheese shredded
- 4 cups tortilla chips
- 2 tbsp Pickled Habanada Peppers with Shallot and Lime Peel (see notes for recipe link)
- Tomatillo Pasilla Salsa (see notes for recipe link)
- sour cream
- fresh cilantro chopped
- ½ avocado diced
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°
- Pat frog legs dry with paper towels. Using a sharp knife, split the saddle connecting the pairs of legs. Season frog generously with salt and pepper.
- Melt butter in a skillet or fry pan over medium-high heat. Fry frog legs in batches, flipping once, until both sides are golden and meat is just cooked through (about 2 minutes per side. Be careful not to overcook, or the meat will turn rubbery). Remove from heat and let rest. Once they are cool enough to handle, pull meat from the bone and shred. Set aside.
- Warm refried beans in a small sauce pan on the stove, or in a bowl in the microwave. The beans do not need to be hot, just warm enough to pour and spread easily.
- Layer tortilla chips on a baking sheet or ovenable serving platter (if you are using a baking sheet and planning to transfer to another dish for serving, laying down a sheet of parchment paper first will make the transfer much easier).
- Spread the beans as evenly as possible across the top layer of tortilla chips. Scatter shredded frog meat and pickled peppers on top, then sprinkle liberally with Chihuahua cheese. Bake at 325° for 10-15 minutes, until cheese is melted and bubbly.
- Remove from oven. Sprinkle with diced avocado and fresh cilantro, then drizzle with sour cream and tomatillo pasilla salsa.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
- This recipe serves 2 people as a meal, or 4 as an appetizer.
- Frog legs are available at seafood markets and in the seafood departments of some supermarkets. Asian supermarkets sometimes carry them as well.
- Our recipe for Pickled Habanada Peppers with Shallots and Lime Peel can be found here.
- Our Tomatillo Pasilla Salsa recipe can be found here.
