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Mix all together thoroughly. You may add anything you choose to this sauce — chopped pickle, hard-cooked egg, chopped olives. Spoon the sauce over the frogs’ legs.

SOUTHERN-FRIED FROGS’ LEGS

Soak the frogs’ legs in milk. Roll them in flour, dip in the milk again, and roll in dry bread crumbs or cracker crumbs. Melt 6 tablespoons butter and 5 tablespoons oil in a large skillet. Sauté the frogs’ legs quickly in the hot fat and, when nicely browned, remove them to a hot platter. Pour off all but 4 tablespoons of the fat. Combine this with 4 tablespoons flour and mix well, being sure to scrape up all the bits of brown from the pan. Add 11/2 cups light cream and stir until thickened. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper and pour over the frogs’ legs or serve separately.

VARIATION

Add 3 tablespoons of sherry or Madeira to the sauce just before pouring over the frogs’ legs.

FRIED FROGS’ LEGS I

Soak frogs’ legs in milk for 30 minutes. Roll in flour, dip in beaten egg and milk, and roll in crumbs. Heat fat for deep frying to 370°. Fry the legs for 2 minutes or until brown. Remove to absorbent paper and sprinkle with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Serve with lemon or with tartar sauce (pages 35–36).

FRIED FROGS’ LEGS II

Soak frogs’ legs in milk for 30 minutes. Dip them in beer batter (page 99). Fry in deep fat heated to 375° for 3 or 4 minutes or until brown and crisp. Drain on absorbent paper and serve with a sauce rémoulade (page 35) or a tartar sauce (pages 35–36).

NOTE: It is my opinion that frying frogs’ legs robs them of their delicate flavor and their delightful juiciness. I much prefer one of the methods for sautéing, frogs’ legs poulette, or vinaigrette.

Snails

Snails can be terrestrial, freshwater, or marine. The terrestrial variety, which is the most commonly eaten, is admittedly not a shellfish, but a land-loving vegetarian. It is included in this book because it is similar in many ways to the sea snail, or periwinkle, and because all snails, whether native to land or water, may be cooked by the same recipes.

Most snails eaten in this country come canned, accompanied by a bag of polished shells so that they may be served in the approved way. Moroccan and Tunisian snails are available fresh in the markets, along with a smaller quantity of periwinkles.

French cookbooks give startling directions for cooking snails, and some of the French dishes take days or even weeks to achieve. Complicated procedure is not necessary for preparing and cooking the fresh snails found in American markets. Soak them in warm water just long enough to break the membrane that covers the shell. Any snails that do not emerge should be discarded. The remaining snails should be brought to a boil in salted water or court bouillon. They can then be used in several fashions.

SNAILS BOURGUIGNONNE (WITH CANNED SNAILS)

1 cup creamed butter

1/2 cup minced parsley

3 or 4 garlic cloves, minced

Salt to taste

Cream the above ingredients together to make a beurre d’escargots (snail butter). Rinse the snails with 1/2 cup of white wine. Butter the inside of each shell lightly. Insert a snail and cover the entrance of the shell with the snail butter. Arrange on snail platters or on a large baking sheet, and let them stand for several hours before you cook them, if you have the time. About 10 minutes before serving, place the snails in a 450° oven and let them heat through thoroughly. Serve with plenty of good crisp French bread and white wine.

VARIATION

Prepare the snails as above and add 1/2 cup of white wine to the pan in which you heat them.

SNAILS BOURGUIGNONNE (WITH FRESH SNAILS)

Soak the snails until they come out of their shells and put them in salted water or court bouillon (see above). After you have brought this to a boil, remove them from their shells and rinse them with a little cold water or white wine. Wash the shells, and then follow the preceding recipe for canned snails.

SNAILS LASSERE

48 mushroom caps (medium size,