How to Make Vietnamese Butter-Fried Frog

Prepare the Frog Meat

If you’re unfamiliar with cleaning frog meat, you can ask the vendor to remove the skin, head, guts, and feet for you. Once home, clean the frog meat thoroughly.

To remove the fishy and unpleasant smell, rub the frog meat with coarse salt and ginger wine. If you don’t have ginger wine, crush some ginger and rub the meat with it and coarse salt.

Frogs live in damp environments, which makes them prone to parasitic worms, especially thorn-headed worms, which are white and often found in the thighs. Be extra cautious when cleaning the frog meat.

After rubbing with salt and wine, rinse the frog meat clean and let it drain. Then chop it into bite-sized pieces. You can leave the legs whole if preferred. Typically, one frog is cut into four parts.

Prepare the Other Ingredients

Mash the ingredients used for marinating the frog: lemongrass, ginger, garlic, shallots, chili, and turmeric.

For stir-frying with butter, mince 2 stalks of lemongrass and several cloves of garlic.

If you’re serving cucumber and betel leaves with the dish, wash them with saltwater and let them dry.

If you're making butter-fried frog for guests or a party, you can prepare 8-10 stalks of lemongrass, crush them, and tear them into thin strips. Fry these lemongrass strips for garnish—they will add a decorative touch and enhance the dish's aroma.
The lemongrass oils released during frying will also make the frying oil more fragrant.

Marinate the Frog Meat

For 1kg of frog meat, marinate with:

• 1/2 teaspoon MSG
• 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
• 1 teaspoon seasoning powder
• 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
• 1/2 tablespoon fish sauce
• 1/2 tablespoon sugar
• 2 tablespoons annatto oil
• 2 tablespoons cooking oil
• 1/2 teaspoon five-spice powder
• 1 teaspoon cooking wine or white wine (optional)

Mix well, then add the mashed ingredients for the marinade. Rub evenly and let the frog meat absorb the seasoning for at least 20-30 minutes. This step ensures the frog meat is flavorful and fragrant, without any fishy smell, and will also make the dish more warming to eat.

Make the Dipping Sauce

Butter-fried frog tastes even better when served with a dipping sauce made from chili sauce. Here's how to make it:

• 3 tablespoons chili sauce
• 1/3 tablespoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon lime juice

Mix the ingredients well. Adding sugar and lime juice enhances the flavor of the chili sauce.

Fry the Frog Meat

Heat plenty of oil in a pan. Using a generous amount of oil ensures that the frog meat cooks evenly, turns golden brown, and stays crisp.

If you're using fried lemongrass strips for garnish, fry them first until crispy, then drain them on paper towels. Skim any leftover lemongrass from the oil to keep the frying oil clear.

Before frying the frog, remove any excess marinade from the surface to prevent it from burning. Once the oil is hot, fry the frog meat over medium heat.

The frog meat will rise to the surface as it cooks. Turn the pieces occasionally to ensure even browning.

When making butter-fried frog, you can also coat the meat with a dry batter for a crispy texture or use a wet batter for an extra crunchy coating. Batter also helps the meat stay intact during frying, as frog meat can fall apart easily. However, Cookbeo prefers frying the frog meat as is, without batter. Choose whichever method suits your taste.

Fry the frog meat until golden brown and slightly crispy at the edges, but don't over-fry or the meat will dry out. Drain the fried frog meat on paper towels to remove excess oil.

Make the Butter-Fried Frog

Use the same pan and oil from frying the frog, leaving 2-3 tablespoons of oil in the pan. Sauté the minced lemongrass and garlic in the hot oil. Add about 1 tablespoon of annatto oil to give the dish a vibrant color.

Next, add 3 tablespoons of butter and heat on medium until melted. Add 1/2 tablespoon of oyster sauce to create a light savory glaze for the frog meat.

Once the mixture is bubbling, add the fried frog meat. Increase the heat and toss the pan to coat the meat evenly with the butter sauce. Cook for about 30 seconds, then remove from heat.

Arrange the betel leaves on a serving plate, place the crispy fried lemongrass strips, and lay the butter-fried frog pieces on top. The dish should be fragrant with a shiny, golden brown appearance. The outside should be slightly crisp while the inside remains juicy and flavorful, coated with the buttery garlic sauce.

As with other butter-fried dishes like butter-fried quail or butter-fried squid, this dish is best served hot. Eating it cold can diminish the flavor and texture, as the meat may dry out. Serve with cucumber, betel leaves, and the prepared chili dipping sauce for a perfect meal.

Enjoy cooking this delicious frog dish!