BLACK AND WHITE GARLIC SOUP WITH FROG LEGS

Whenever I see frog legs, I always think about a dish that I had at a four-star restaurant in NYC, which was the first place that I've ever eaten them.  They were part of a tasting menu at the time and served alongside a creamy garlic soup.

Recently, when I was at the fish market and passed the freezer containing frog legs, I decided to add some to my basket.  I know.  Frog legs?  I have to say that it is a different protein.

While garlic soup was on my mind and since I had black garlic on hand, I thought about a black and white garlic soup--to be served with the frog legs, of course.

Rocambole Garlic

Black Garlic

Since I used both black and white garlic, the color was darker than a typical creamy garlic soup.  The taste was sweet but still had an underlying garlic flavor. 




For the frog legs, I dusted them with AP flour and then sautéed them in unsalted butter.  I served them as a side that could be added to the soup or not at all.  The soup is fine by itself.  The legs are an added garnish or a treat or don't even have to be used, or made.


Black and White Garlic Soup
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
40 cloves of garlic, peeled and sliced thinly
6 cloves of black garlic, sliced
3 sprigs of fresh thyme
6 cups chicken stock
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
2 eggs
1 tablespoon sherry wine vinegar

Frog Legs
1/4 cup AP flour, for dusting
4 frog legs
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
½ teaspoon garlic, chopped
1 teaspoon parsley, chopped
2 teaspoons lemon juice

Put oil into saucepan and turn the heat to medium.  Add garlic and thyme sprigs.  Cook until garlic softens and has a translucent appearance.

Add chicken stock and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium, and stir occasionally until the liquid is reduced by half and the garlic is tender, about 15 minutes.


Season the soup to taste with salt and pepper and reduce heat. Remove thyme sprigs. In a separate stainless steel bowl, whisk the eggs with the vinegar.  Take a ladle full of the soup and add it to the egg/vinegar mixture in the bowl. Whisk to warm up the mixture (same process as making ice cream).  After tempering the egg/vinegar mixture, slowly whisk this into the hot soup.  

I ladled the soup into bowls containing a bed of chopped greens.  Preferably, the same greens that the frog legs are served on. 





Frog Legs
Dust frog legs in flour.  Melt butter and sauté frog legs until golden brown.  Add chopped garlic, salt and pepper.  Sprinkle on lemon juice and add parsley.  Serve on a bed of greens as a side with the soup.  Serves 4 as an appetizer or 2 as an appetizer (not a typo).