How to Make Vietnamese Stir-fried Frog with Lemongrass and Chili
The most challenging part of making stir-fried frog with lemongrass and chili is preparing the frog meat. Learn how to clean the frog properly to ensure tender, flavorful, and odor-free meat. In this article, Cookbeo will share some important tips on how to prepare this delicious dish.
Frog meat is a nutritious ingredient, rich in health benefits. In traditional Eastern medicine, frog is known as 'field chicken,' with meat that is sweet and beneficial for health. It helps boost immunity, reduce inflammation, relieve heat, alleviate itching, and treat tuberculosis.
Frog meat is used in many delicious dishes such as frog porridge, stir-fried frog with eggplant, crispy fried frog, and frog stewed with banana and tofu. Among them, stir-fried frog with lemongrass and chili is a popular dish that many people enjoy. The dish is flavorful, slightly spicy, and makes a perfect appetizer for gatherings.
The key to this dish is the texture: the frog meat is firm on the outside but tender and sweet inside. The combination of tender frog meat, spicy chili, and aromatic lemongrass creates a delicious and satisfying meal.
Ingredients
- 300g frog thighs
- 5-6 lemongrass stalks
- 2 bell peppers (red and green)
- A few fresh chilies
- Turmeric powder
- Green onions
- Coriander
- 1 lemon
- 1-2 shallots
- 1 garlic bulb
- 1 piece fresh ginger
- Ginger wine
- Common seasonings
Ingredient Notes
Bell peppers add a visually appealing color to the dish. If you do not prefer the slight bitterness of bell peppers, you can skip this ingredient.
Instructions
Preparing Ingredients
You can ask the seller to clean the frog for you. If you're doing it yourself, remove the skin, discard the internal organs, cut off the feet, and chop the frog into bite-sized pieces.
To clean the frog meat thoroughly and remove any odors, rub it with a bit of salt and ginger wine (if available). Rinse the meat, then coat it lightly with turmeric powder.
Next, blanch the frog meat in boiling water, rinse again, and finally marinate it with 1-2 tablespoons of fish sauce and 1 teaspoon of ground pepper.
Preparing other ingredients
Peel off the tough outer layers of lemongrass, rinse, and finely chop.
Take half of each bell pepper (red and green), rinse, remove the seeds, and slice into strips about 4cm long.
Mince the fresh chili.
Rinse the green onions and coriander, then chop finely.
Cut the lemon in half and squeeze out the juice.
How to Make Stir-fried Frog with Lemongrass and Chili
Heat 2 tablespoons of cooking oil, then sauté the chopped onions, garlic, ginger, and lemongrass until fragrant. Add the frog meat and stir-fry over medium-high heat, stirring continuously until the meat begins to firm up. Then add the minced chili.
Next, add the bell peppers and stir briefly. Season to taste with about 1 teaspoon of salt, 1 teaspoon of MSG, and 1/2 teaspoon of fish sauce. If serving as a snack, you can reduce the seasoning slightly compared to when serving with rice.
Continue stir-frying for about 2 more minutes until the frog meat is fully cooked and tender, then add the green onions and coriander. Stir for a few more seconds, then turn off the heat and transfer to a serving plate.
Tips & Notes
- When preparing frog meat for stir-frying or any frog dish, it is crucial to clean the meat thoroughly. Since frogs live in fields, they often carry parasites, especially Gnathostoma larvae. These larvae are white and resemble frog meat, making them difficult to spot. Pay special attention to cleaning the frog's thighs where the larvae are commonly found.
- Turmeric powder is used to enhance the color and aroma of the dish, making the frog meat more fragrant and golden. Do not skip this ingredient.
Cookbeo has shared how to make a delicious, spicy, and flavorful stir-fried frog with lemongrass and chili, especially focusing on how to properly clean the frog meat for a safe and tasty dish. We hope these tips will give you more confidence in preparing this appetizing dish. Good luck!
