Frog legs are a Southern delicacy

Frogs legs have long been known to be a French and a Chinese delicacy.

Even though frog legs are usually associated with the French, an article published by the National Geographic states that archeologists found frog bone fragments dated to about 10,000 years ago.

"That's well before the first documentation of the French eating frog," dig leader David Jaques of the University of Buckingham said in the report. "The earliest source for the French eating frog legs is in The Annals of the Catholic Church from the 12th century."

Frog legs are a nutritious food, rich in protein, omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin A and potassium, and are a well-known dish in Louisiana and the South.

Often, frog legs have been said to have a "chicken-like" taste, and their texture is similar to chicken wings.

Jamaal Davis, assistant manager of the Houma restaurant Boudreau and Thibodeau's Cajun Cookin', said the secret to more tender and flavored frog legs is to marinate them for two or so hours before cooking them.

"I use Italian dressing to marinate the frog legs," Davis said. "Before I got here, we would fried them up plain, but I really never liked that so I started to marinate them."

Davis encourages people to marinate their frog legs with different seasonings and dressings until they find the one they like the most.

"This way they don't only have a better taste, but they are also more tender," he said.

After marinating them for two hours, frog legs can be put aside for a while. That way, the flavors set more intensely. Frying them does not take long, usually between four and five minutes, Davis said.

Once served, they can be accompanied by a side of ranch sauce.

Staff Writer Andrea Mujica can be reached at 850-1148 or amujica@houmatoday.com. Follow her on twitter @CationM.