Why it works: Pepper and olive are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 11% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 30,263 recipes. Both carry 2,4-decadienal, which smells seaweed. The science ↓
Broiled Frogs' Legs
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare
Lay frogs on their backs and cut from the neck along the belly, then across the middle.
Remove entrails and cut away the head, leaving only the back and legs.
Skin and chop off the feet, then wash thoroughly and blanch in scalding salted water.
Season and broil
Place on a dish and pour over olive oil seasoned with salt and pepper.
Turn frogs in the seasoning several times and broil for 3-4 minutes on one side, then turn.
Broil altogether for about 7 minutes and serve with maitre d'hôtel sauce.
Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures.
Explore the science
The flavor team
The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.
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Pepper + olivetop 11% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together30,263 recipes
Shared aroma: 2,4-decadienal (seaweed).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Frogs
- Provide the main protein, which cooks quickly and turns firm and opaque under direct heat.
- Olive oil
- Carries the seasoning over the surface and helps the frog legs brown and stay moist under the broiler.
The step that matters
Turning the frogs during broiling. Frog legs are lean and dry out or scorch quickly under direct heat. Turning them in the oiled seasoning and broiling in short, even passes helps them cook through while keeping the surface moist and evenly browned.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
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