February 2006
Shida
by Celia Cheng
DEEP-FRIED FROG LEGS
marinated with ginger, garlic and shallots,
served with Thai basil
It’s hard to tell that these little deep-fried treats are frog legs. In fact, if you didn’t know, you would probably think that you were eating fried-chicken (well, chicken with small legs, maybe). The fact that the frog legs are marinated with ginger, garlic and shallots adds a layer of complexity to the flavor, although the outcome is subtle. Topped with chopped Thai basil, squeeze a little lemon on a deep-fried frog leg and dip it in a little salt and pepper and voilà. Who knew frogs could be so tasty?!
Note: The great thing about Shida being a sculptor is that he can make specific dishware for his dinners with a little planning. An Oribe-style ceramic plate was conceived to perfectly serve this dish for our Chinese New Year’s Eve dinner.
