On the Tenth Day of Christmas

My true love gave to me Ten Lords-a-Leaping. My love, my Lord, gave to me – to the entire human race – His Ten Commandments. Commandment sounds so stern – this is an order or else. The Commandments are not orders in a military sense, but they are guidelines, and straying does have its consequences. We have the most precious gift of all – free will. With that come choices and taking responsibility for our actions.

We can debate the relevance of the first three commandments until the cows come home – it all depends upon your personal perspective.

I am the Lord thy God
Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain
Remember to keep holy the Sabbath

As a person of faith, for me there is no room for exception or compromise. But that is my choice, no one else’s. Remember that whole thing about free will. As for the remaining seven, these are words to live by no matter your beliefs.

Honor thy father and mother
Thou shalt not kill
Thou shalt not commit adultery
Thou shalt not steal
Thou shalt not bear false witness
Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s wife
Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s good

Our Civil laws are derived from these commandments. Common sense and decency tells us to be good to one another, and to respect one another. I could spend hours discussing the Commandments and their importance in a civilized society, but then we’d never get to cooking. And this is a cooking blog.

While many sites dedicated to foods inspired by the Twelve Days of Christmas offer Rabbit for Leaping Lords, I’ve never actually eaten a rabbit. Short of taking a gun and hunting rabbits, I’m not sure where one would even get one. Since some restaurants do offer rabbit and I cannot imagine the chef out hunting, there must be a market out there somewhere, right? Here in my tiny corner of the world, frog legs are easier to come by. So Leaping Frog it is!

Italian Frog Legs with Rosemary Butter Sauce
Frog Legs
8 pair Frog Legs
1 teaspoon Kosher Salt
1/2 teaspoon Onion Powder
1/4 teaspoon Roasted Garlic Powder
1/4 teaspoon Dried Thyme
1/4 teaspoon Crushed Rosemary
1-1/2 teaspoons Italian Seasoning
White Pepper to taste
Vegetable Oil for Frying

Rinse frog legs under cold water and pat dry with paper towels. If desired, separate the legs for easier handling and eating.

Combine kosher salt, onion powder, garlic powder, dried thyme, Rosemary, Italian Seasoning and white pepper. Coat the frog legs with seasoning, cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, but preferably overnight.

Seasoned Dredging Stations
Station 1
2 tablespoons Flour
Station 2
1 Eggs
1 tablespoon Milk
Station 3
1/2 cup Flour
1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt
White Pepper to taste
1/4 teaspoon Roasted Garlic Powder
1/4 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
1 teaspoon Milk

Heat the oil in a skillet to 350 degrees. Set up a dredging line with three stations. Place flour into the first dish, then whisk the egg and milk together in a second shallow bowl. The final station is the seasoned flour. Combine the flour, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and Italian Seasoning. Whisk to blend, then stir the milk into the seasoned flour to create a moist breading.

Dredge the frog in the plain flour first, then dip into the egg mixture and then finally in the seasoned flour mixture.

The line must be followed so that the plain flour sticks to the legs, the egg mixture adheres to the flour, and finally the seasoned flour attaches to the egg mixture. This will create a thermal blanket allowing the outside to fry crisp, while protecting the legs from drying out. After all, these are tiny legs.

Fry frog legs in the hot oil until crispy and golden, turning as needed for even browning. Do not overcrowd the pan to avoid lowering the oil temperature too much.

Let the legs drain on paper towels before serving.

Rosemary Butter Sauce
1/2 cup White Wine
1/2 cup Heavy Cream
1 tablespoon Fresh Rosemary
4 tablespoons Butter
4 sprigs Rosemary Sprigs

Drain and discard the oil from the skillet, leaving behind any browned bits.

To the now empty skillet, add wine to deglaze the pan over medium-low heat, stirring to loosen browned bits the bottom. Add cream, increase heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cook and stir until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes.

Mince rosemary, add to the cream along with remaining 4 tablespoons butter. Whisk off-heat until blended and silky.

Optional Finishing Touches
2 Green Onions
2 Garlic Cloves

To serve, ladle most of the sauce in a large rimmed serving platter. Arrange legs over the sauce. Drizzle with remaining sauce.

For the finishing touches, slice green onions, scatter over the frog legs. Peel and thinly slice a few garlic cloves, scatter around the platter. Serve and enjoy.