Frog Leg Sauce Piquant

4-6 servings Prep: 20 m Cook: 1 h 10 m Total: 1 h 30 m Intermediate
5.0/5 (5)
Frog Leg Sauce Piquant
In this dish most Cajuns use the head and body for the sauce piquant and save the legs for frying. Most people think frogs taste like chicken, I say it tastes even better. Speaking of which, if you like, you can use chicken or catfish instead of frog. Both are totally wonderful in this dish with tomatoes, roux, and the Cajun trinity.

Ingredients

4-6 servings
  • 2 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 1/4 cup all purpose flour
  • 3 tbsp butter
  • 1 large onion, diced
  • 1 celery stalk, diced
  • 1 small bell pepper, chopped
  • 3 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 1 (6 oz) can tomato paste
  • 4 whole tomatoes, chopped
  • 4 cups chicken broth
  • 1 tsp Tabasco pepper sauce
  • 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 3 lbs frog meat (15 to 20 legs) or 8 to 10 carcasses
  • Salt and cayenne pepper to taste

Step-by-Step Instructions

  1. In a large saucepan over medium high heat, combine the oil and 2 tablespoons of flour to make a roux. Stir constantly until the roux is a light to medium brown (about 15 minutes).
  2. Stir in the butter and add the onion, celery, green pepper and garlic and sauté for 5 minutes or until soft.
  3. Add the tomato paste and cook over medium heat for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the tomatoes with the liquid, chicken broth, Tabasco, Worcestershire and black pepper. Cover and simmer over low for 45 minutes.
  4. Meanwhile dust the frog legs with the remaining 2 tablespoons of flour seasoned with a small amount of salt and cayenne pepper.
  5. Coat a large skillet with non-stick cooking spray or a small amount of oil, add the frog legs and sauté until lightly brown (about 3 minutes on each side).
  6. Add the legs to the sauce and simmer for an additional 15 minutes if using frog legs and 30 minutes if using the rest of the meat (carcasses). Add additional water if the sauce thickens too much.
  7. If using fresh sausage, brown the sausage first and add to the mixture. Cook an additional 30 minutes, stirring to prevent sticking.
  8. Serve over rice and garnish with parsley and minced green onions.

Common Problems and Solutions

Q: Why is my roux burning?

A: Keep the heat at medium-high (not high) and stir constantly. The roux for sauce piquant should be light to medium brown, which takes about 15 minutes. Don't walk away from it or increase the heat to speed it up.

Q: The sauce is too thick. What do I do?

A: Simply add water a little at a time until you reach the desired consistency. Sauce piquant should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon but still pourable.

Q: How do I know when the frog legs are done?

A: The meat should be opaque and tender, similar to chicken. If using whole carcasses, the meat should pull away from the bones easily after the 30-minute simmer.

Tips and Techniques

Don’t skip browning the frog legs before adding them to the sauce—this step adds depth of flavor and helps seal in moisture. Also, letting the tomato paste cook for the full 10 minutes develops a richer, less acidic flavor.

Ingredient Substitutions

  • frog meat: cut-up chicken pieces or catfish fillets
  • Tabasco pepper sauce: your favorite Louisiana hot sauce
  • fresh tomatoes: 1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes

Equipment Needed

  • large saucepan or Dutch oven
  • large skillet
  • wooden spoon for stirring roux

Historical Context

Sauce piquant (spicy sauce) is one of the foundational Cajun dishes, traditionally made with whatever protein was available—alligator, turtle, rabbit, or frog. It’s similar to a Creole-style sauce but with the Cajun trinity base and typically a bit more rustic.