Drenchen Style Sauteed Mudhopper Legs in Gravy
Culinary creations from the world of Thra continue. During our edible adventures, we find ourselves in the Swamp of Sog, home to the fierce, tree dwelling Drenchen clan of Gelfings. The Drenchen Clan is the clan from which the Gelfing insurgent Gurjin hails.They are the only Gelfings that are as capable of living in water as they are on land, for they’re the only Gelfings with gills as well as lungs and wings more adapted to swimming than flying. So, my first thought when approaching a potential cuisine for this swampy clan was swampy food. Now what kinds of animals can one find in murky marsh water? Insects, amphibians, and reptiles of course! Keeping that in mind, I have chosen to make a meal of the humble Mudhopper, or as we on Earth call them, the frog. I’ve ended up with a rich, hearty, and savory meal that would endear anyone to this most unusual of proteins. Alongside the legs, I’ve included a couple side dishes. This recipe feeds three Gelfling adventurers, or two very hungry Gelfling, with veggies and tubers to spare, or course. WARNING: This is a 2.5-3 hour recipe TOOLS: Large bowl (for marinating frog legs) Parchment paper, Baking sheet Two pans Liquid measuring cup Solid measuring cups and spoons plate 1 meat knife 1 paring knife 1 chef’s knife 1 hand greater
Food processor Tinfoil Small baking dish Oven
Toaster oven INGREDIENTS: For Potato side dish: Cooking Spray 1 small bag of baby golden potatoes or fingerling potatoes 1.5 Tbsp Olive Oil Salt and Pepper to taste For the Vegetable side dish: 1 Large King Oyster Mushroom 1 Large Chinese Eggplant 2 Shallots 1/4 Sweet onion 1 tbsp olive oil 1/4 Cup White Wine
Herbs de Provence (optional) For the Frog’s Legs: 1 and 1/2 lbs Frog Legs (skinless) 2 cups of milk ( or plant based milk, if you’re lactose intolerant) 3 tbsp of flour ( or gluten free flour) 1 and 1/2 cup of white wine 1 tbsp of Italian parsley 1 lemon
2 tbsp lemon juice 2 bulbs of garlic
2 tsp butter
Salt and pepper to taste.
For your potatoes:
Preheat oven to 400 °F ( 204.444 Celsius). Thoroughly wash your baby potatoes. Pat them dry and slice each in half. Line baking sheet with parchment paper and spray with cooking spray. Rub your potatoes down with olive oil till evenly coated. Salt and pepper to your liking. Roast your potatoes from 40-60 minutes or until golden brown and slightly crispy. For the veggies:
Wash the mushrooms, shallots, onion, and eggplant. Slice 1/4 of the sweet onion as well as all the shallots.
Slice the eggplant into 1/4 inch rounds. Cube the mushrooms.
Heat oil to medium heat. Add eggplants and cook till slightly squishy, stirring occasionally to prevent burning.
Add the mushrooms and saute until slightly browned, stirring occasionally to prevent burning. Add onions and shallots and cook until slightly browned. Add the wine and stir until the wine has boiled off and all the veggies are glazed.
For the frog legs: In a large bowl, add your milk and frog legs until the legs are covered. Marinate in the fridge for 1 hour, turning the legs 30 minutes in.
While marinating the legs, prepare the garlic bulbs by slicing the tops of, removing the papery outer skin, and rubbing them in olive oil. Place your garlic bulbs on a small, greased, tinfoil lined baking sheet and roast in your toaster oven at 400 °F for 40 minutes.Remove garlic bulbs from toaster oven and cool for 10 minutes. Remove outer skin from roasted cloves and set cloves aside.Grate the skin off of your lemon (zest it), directly into the food processor.
Add roasted garlic cloves, parsley, and lemon juice. Pulse until smooth. After your hour has passed, remove the legs from the milk and pat dry. On a plate, rub the legs down in flour.Heat butter and 1 tbsp of oil in the pan over medium heat. Add the legs and cook for 2 minutes.
Add another tbsp of oil and flip the legs, cooking for 2 minutes.
Add the third tbsp of oil, half,the parsley mixture, and the wine. Simmer the frogs in the wine for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Turn up the heat slightly and cook until the sauce becomes a thick and rich gravy. Top with leftover parsley mixture and serve with vegetables and potatoes.
