Fragrant frog porridge

Frogs are an amphibian species that is quite sensitive to weather changes. On hot days, they are silent as if burying themselves in mud to fight the heat. However, as soon as a shower falls, from nowhere do frogs flock to the rice fields and ponds to cheer and sing excitedly.

Not only frogs celebrate rain to cool down, but farmers are also very happy. Wearing raincoats, carrying sacks or net bags in one hand, carrying long clamps in the other, wearing lights on the head, excitedly inviting each other to scour frogs to earn the blessing from heaven every summer. Dark shadows of people walking silently on the vast fields covered in darkness, only flashlight lights flickering gradually towards the place where frog sounds are heard.

I don't know if it was because they were too happy because they encountered a shower or not, but the frogs at that time just sat bare, engrossed in singing, their eyes bulging roughly in the light of the lamp, and then each frog was picked up, each frog put into a bag. Just like that, until the sky had run out of flashes, the frog's sound gradually softened and then silenced, the frog hunting session ended.

Summer frogs are the fattest and most delicious. As soon as they get home, housewives are waiting, holding bags of frogs and filtering out the largest ones to cook porridge or make some late-night snacks for their husbands and children, the rest tied with banana strings, dropped into jars to take to the market to sell the next morning.

Frogs are clean animals, so the processing stage does not take too much time. Chopping off the head, peeling off the skin, dissecting the abdomen to remove internal organs, you immediately get a soft white meat. First, just leave the meat there. You must make quick snacks to bring spiciness to men.

The frog skin is rubbed clean with kitchen ash and salt to remove slime, then sliced into bite-sized pieces, fried crispy with cooking oil, when almost done, add chopped piper lolot leaves - a spice that is extremely suitable for frog meat - and you get a rather appetizing snack.

Bringing these two plates of appetizers up, the women can rest assured to prepare the main dish.

Many dishes can be cooked with frog meat. The simplest way is to fry the whole frog until crispy in an oil-filled frying pot. Turn on a high heat, let the oil heat up and then put the frog in to fry, until the meat turns golden brown, take it out to drain the oil, then arrange it on a plate with betel leaves already arranged.

Field frog meat inherently has a fragrant smell, so avoid using too many spices, lest the smell fades away. Just dip it in salt, pepper, and lemon juice is enough to enjoy a dish that is both delicious and fragrant. Ripping a piece of frog thigh, the outside is yellow and white, the texture is soft like chicken breast, still emitting fragrant smoke, chewing to the point of being sweet, then sipping a sip of sticky rice wine with a yellow flower, it is truly awesome.

If you want to be more elaborate, make frog stir-fried with pineapple, lemongrass, and chili. The best way to prepare this dish is to only use frog thighs. Frog thighs are marinated with lemongrass, onions, garlic, turmeric, curry powder, fish sauce, and MSG for about 30 minutes to absorb the spices.

Then, stir-fry scallions and garlic to enhance the aroma, then add frog meat and stir-fry for about 5 minutes, then add sliced pineapple, shredded tomatoes and stir-fry for another 5 minutes. Pour out onto a plate, sprinkle with scallions, cilantro, pepper, and you have a plate of stir-fried frog with a fragrant aroma, eating to where you feel armpit pain because it is delicious.

While the whole family is enjoying the delicious dishes above, a pot of green bean frog porridge is simmering on the stove. Broke the rice and green beans in half to keep the shells, cook until tender, then add chopped carrots and thinly sliced straw mushrooms. When eating, add the frog meat that has been chopped and stir-fried until cooked into the porridge pot, then cook for a few more minutes.

Scoop porridge into a bowl, sprinkle chopped scallions, shredded cilantro and a little pepper and you have a hot, nutritious bowl of porridge. The fragrant taste of frog meat combined with the aroma of green beans creates a very delicious and easy-to-eat dish. That bowl of porridge not only blows away the cold in the body of the rainy night of frog hunting but is also very beneficial for health.