Exotic food anyone? In Pampanga Philippines we have one, here I cooked for our lunch today this betuteng tugak or stuffed frog. This is no longer commonly seen in everyday cooking because this dish is quite tedious to prepare and the frogs are seasonal and there is only one I know in the market who sells them. So why have I thought of preparing this dish? Well, I had been very careful with the kind of food that I cook recently because I am avoiding those with high cholesterol content as advised by my doctor. Frogs are pure lean meat with no fats that I can tell.
I thought that I would try to challenge myself. One to find the frogs which are rarely available in the market. Two, try to through the ordeal of cleaning and preparing them. The most challenging part is removing their skin and the trick to that is using ash. Three, research the recipe online if there is any.
When I was little I used to watch my mom do all the things that I mentioned above. I love looking at the frogs with their googly eyes and touching their slimy skin. I laugh when I see them get stripped off their skin as it literally looks like a onesie once pulled away in one piece. I love reminiscing those fond memories now that my mom is no longer here. I wish I had asked her about the recipe. It is pretty easy and straightforward though because you are just going to stuff the frogs with their own meat and then deep fry them. Still, they would not taste as good if you do not know what spices or marinade to use. I did a bit of research online and like I said it is pretty straightforward. So after removing the skin I marinated the frogs overnight with vinegar and some spices I have in my kitchen it could be anything. The following day, I prepared the stuffing. Not all the frogs will have a nice gut to be filled so those I will just use as stuffing. I will grind their meat add some minced carrots and whatever extender I have in my kitchen then some salt, pepper and garlic. Stuff the frog then deep fry them that is how easy it is. The dip is vinegar with lots of onions and garlic. I am proud to say that I made a tasty version of my own of this favorite Kapampangan exotic food.
Keep discovering. Satisfy your curiosity and never get tired learning new things
