Succulent Claypot Kung Pao Frog Legs Recipe (砂煲宫保田鸡)

My parents used to live in Indonesia for over 20 years, and my brother and I used to visit Jakarta often as kids. Frog legs were one of our favourite dishes then, deep-fried with ginger.

To tell the truth, I haven't had these amphibians in the longest years. There were few occasions in Singapore when I tried frog legs kung pao style. It was really good! So I got really excited when I spotted JFF (Jurong Frog Farm) selling frozen frog legs.

Couple of months ago, I had a little fun at the Kranji Countryside Adventure, Singapore's Wild Wild West. We did some shopping besides touring the area. The packet of frog legs were going at SGD 15 for 500g, compared to SGD 18 at NTUC Fairprice. Although the frog legs turned out real tasty, we found them to be too big for our liking. Strangely, my family prefers smaller ones.

Geylang in Singapore is really famous for frog leg dishes. I really enjoyed the Kung Pao Frog Legs Porridge there. So I tried my luck and googled for Geylang frog legs to see if I can find any tips. Bingo! I found an article by SoShiok:

Kung Pao frogs at Geylang Lor 9 (a restaurant chain that serves frog dishes), is cooked in claypot using dried and birdeye chillies, and a secret recipe oyster sauce.

The frog is then cut into pieces and tossed into a claypot with a liberal amount of oyster sauce. If it is kung pao style, dried chilli and cili padi will be added, and after a drizzle of sesame oil, it will be left on the stove for five minutes.

"It shouldn't be cooked longer than that because the meat will become tough," Chef Alex Ang says.

Working along those lines, I started cooking my version of Claypot Kung Pao Frog Legs and it was so darn good! The three of us, plus a guest, cleaned out the entire claypot of American Bullfrogs! Everyone of us love the kung pao sauce which was so appetizing especially drizzled over a plate of fragrant Jasmine rice. This spicy, sweet and sour dish will leave you clamouring for more!

What I cooked that night - 三菜一汤:
- Hairygourd Pork Ribs Soup
- Crunchy Japanese Cucumber Appetizer (蒜泥黄瓜)
- Wakame Omelette with Prawns
- Claypot Kung Pao Frog Legs

Ingredients:
500g Frog Legs (4 pairs)
8 Dried Chillies (remove seeds)
2 Chilli padi / bird-eye chillies (remove seeds and cut)
5 Szechuan peppers
1 small Onion
2 sprigs of Spring onion
5 slices of Ginger
4 cloves of Garlic
1 tbsp Oyster sauce
2 tbsp Sugar
2 tbsp Black Vinegar
2 tsp Dark Soya sauce
1 tsp Light Soya sauce
2 tbsp Chinese cooking wine
1 tsp Sesame oil
2 tbsp Cornstarch
Pinch of Salt
150 ml Water
Oil for deep-frying

Foodwhirl Features Claypot Kung Pao Frog Legs Recipe

Kitchen Artistry Features Kung Pao Frog Legs Recipe

Marinade:
1 tsp Soya sauce
1 tsp Oyster sauce
Pinch of Sugar
½ tsp Cornflour
½ tsp Sesame oil
Dash of Pepper and Salt

Method:

• Separate the pairs of frog legs, and marinate the frog legs for at least 30 mins.

• Slice onions, garlic and ginger.
• Heat oil and deep fry the legs till half cooked to seal in the juices. Drain and set aside.

• Heat 2 tbsp of oil in claypot. Sautéed rest of the ingredients till fragrant, except spring onion.

• Add water and seasonings, and simmer for about 3 mins.

• Add frog legs and cook for about 2 mins.

• Throw in spring onions and mix well.

• Serve your delicious Succulent Claypot Kung Pao Frog Legs (宫保田鸡) hot.

Do you enjoy frog legs too? Which method of cooking do you like? If you prefer a different style of spicy dish, try my Tantalizing Kung Po Chicken With A Twist (宫堡鸡丁), a drier version with Macadamia Nuts!