Screaming Bullfrog

This dish is fresh, spicy, and appetizing, with tender, springy frog meat. It is a typical Sichuan-style home-cooked dish. Bullfrog meat is naturally high in protein and low in fat, and pairing it with fermented ingredients such as pickled ginger and pickled peppers can help stimulate the appetite. The preparation is relatively straightforward, but the oil temperature and seasoning proportions require some attention. Even beginners can generally complete it within 1 to 2 hours.

Estimated Calories：1643 kcal

Ingredients and Tools

• Bullfrog meat
• Pickled ginger
• Pickled peppers
• Wild Sichuan pepper (can also be substituted with dried red chili peppers)
• Green and red chili peppers
• Garlic
• Doubanjiang (Pixian doubanjiang recommended)
• Salt
• Black pepper
• Cornstarch (dry starch is also acceptable)
• Beer (Snow Beer recommended)
• Cooking wine
• Sichuan pepper oil (optional)
• Lard (optional)
• Chopped scallions

Calculation

1 serving

Per serving:

• Bullfrog meat chunks 800g (Buy 3 jin of live frogs; it is recommended to choose smaller ones for tender, fresh meat)
• Pickled ginger 20–30 g (Adjust to personal taste; add more if you prefer a stronger flavor)
• Pickled chili peppers 5–10 g (Adjust based on spice tolerance; if you cannot handle spicy food, reduce to 2.5 g for a mild heat)
• Wild mountain peppers 10 g
• Green and red chili peppers 20 g
• Garlic 30–50 g (Adjust to taste preference; ideally no less than 30 g)
• Doubanjiang (broad bean paste) 20–30 g (Choose 30 g for a strong flavor, or 20 g for a milder taste. P.S. This dish cannot be too mild, haha)
• Salt 15 g
• Pepper powder 10 g
• Beer 400–500 ml
• Cooking wine 10 ml
• Vine pepper oil 5–10 ml
• Cornstarch 30 g (Dry starch can be used as a substitute)
• Lard 20 ml (Lard is optional; vegetable oil can be used as a substitute)
• Vegetable oil 200 ml
• Chopped scallions 5 g

Steps

1. Rinse the bullfrog meat thoroughly and drain the water. Add at least 10 grams of salt and at least 50 ml of beer. Knead by hand for 5 minutes to remove the fishy smell.
2. Rinse under running water until no more blood or impurities flow out. Drain the water and place it in a suitable container to prepare for marinating.
3. Add 5 grams of salt, 30 grams of cornstarch, 10 ml of cooking wine, and 5 grams of white pepper. Mix well by hand and marinate for 5–10 minutes.
4. Slice or julienne the pickled ginger, pickled chili peppers, and wild mountain chili peppers (depending on your knife skills). Slice the green and red chili peppers into rings. Peel the garlic cloves.
5. Heat a wok and add 200 ml of cooking oil (if the bottom of the wok is flat, you may add an additional 100 ml). Heat until the oil reaches 60% of its smoking point (small bubbles appear). Pour in the marinated bullfrog meat and quickly deep-fry for 10 seconds, then remove it immediately (do not exceed this time significantly, or the frog meat will become tough and dry).
6. After removing the frog meat, drain the excess oil. Pour the hot oil from the wok into a bowl, leaving 30 ml in the wok. Add 20 ml of lard (if unavailable, leave a total of 50 ml of cooking oil in the wok).
7. When the oil is heated to 60% of its smoking point, add the pickled ginger, pickled chili peppers, wild mountain chili peppers, and garlic. Stir-fry until fragrant. Add 20 grams of bean paste and stir-fry over medium heat until red oil appears (limit this to 30 seconds). Pour in 400 ml of beer.
8. Then add the fried bullfrog meat. Use a spoon to gently turn the pieces; do not stir vigorously. Add 5 grams of white pepper and 5 ml of Sichuan pepper oil. Simmer over medium heat for 3 minutes.
9. Increase the heat to high and reduce the sauce for 30 seconds. Add the green and red chili pepper rings and cook for another 10 seconds before removing from the heat.
10. Serve in a bowl, sprinkle with chopped scallions, and enjoy!

Additional Notes

• When draining off the water, you can use a slotted spoon to press it.
• When rubbing the frog meat with cornstarch, make sure it is evenly coated.

If you encounter any issues or identify ways to improve the process while following this guide, please open an Issue or submit a Pull request.