Mountain chicken

Ingredients

Frog

• 8pairs mountain chicken (crapaud) hind legs and saddles, about 1.2 kg, skinned
• juice of 2 limes
• 1 tbspsalt
• 4 tbspplain flour seasoned with 1 tsp black pepper

Creole stew

• 3 tbspcoconut oil
• 1large onion, finely sliced
• 4spring onions (chives), chopped
• 6garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1red bell pepper, in strips
• 4ripe tomatoes, chopped
• 2 tbsptomato puree
• 6 sprigsfresh thyme
• 2bay leaves
• 1 tspground allspice
• 1whole Scotch bonnet, left intact
• 300 mlwater or light stock
• 50 mlwhite rum
• 2 tbspchopped parsley

To serve

• boiled ground provisions: dasheen, yam and green fig (green banana)

Directions

1. Wash the legs in cold water acidulated with the lime juice and salt, a Caribbean cleaning step done to every piece of meat before it is cooked. Rinse and dry well.
2. Dust the pieces in the seasoned flour, shaking off the excess so you get a thin coating, not a batter.
3. Brown them in coconut oil over medium-high heat, 2–3 minutes a side, until pale gold. The flesh is lean and white and firms fast, so do not overwork it. Lift out.
4. Lower the heat and cook the onion, spring onion, bell pepper and garlic for 8 minutes until soft, then add the garlic-heavy aromatics, thyme, bay and allspice and fry 1 minute.
5. Stir in the tomato puree and cook 2 minutes until it darkens, then the chopped tomatoes, and cook 8 minutes until they break down into a rough sauce.
6. Pour in the rum, let it bubble hard for 1 minute to burn off the alcohol, then add the water and float the whole Scotch bonnet on top.
7. Return the legs, cover, and simmer gently for 25–30 minutes, until the meat comes away from the bone in clean white flakes and the sauce has reduced to a clinging creole gravy.
8. Remove the pepper and thyme stalks, scatter with parsley, and serve with boiled dasheen, yam and green fig to mop up the sauce.

Technique

• The mountain chicken is Leptodactylus fallax, a giant ditch frog, not poultry. It was Dominica’s national dish and appears on the coat of arms, and it tastes closer to rabbit or chicken thigh than to fish.
• Hunting has been banned since the early 2000s. Chytrid fungus wiped out well over 90 per cent of the population and the species is now critically endangered, so this recipe is documented history rather than a shopping list.
• The lime-and-salt wash, the whole unpierced Scotch bonnet and the fresh thyme are the three markers of Dominican creole cooking, and they apply to whatever protein you put in the pot.

Substitutions

• Since the crapaud is protected, cook this with 1.2 kg bone-in chicken thighs, or with farmed frog legs where they are legally sold. Chicken needs 30–35 minutes of simmering rather than 25.

Variations

• Fried crapaud: the floured legs simply deep-fried and served with lime and hot pepper sauce, the old roadside version.
• A coconut version with 200 ml coconut milk stirred in for the last 10 minutes.

History

The giant ditch frog, once Dominica’s national dish; chytrid fungus and the 1995 volcanic crisis collapsed the population and hunting was banned.

Frequently asked questions

What is Mountain chicken?

Mountain chicken is a main from Dominica: crapaud frog legs stewed creole-style; historic national dish, now rare. The giant ditch frog, once Dominica’s national dish; chytrid fungus and the 1995 volcanic crisis collapsed the population and hunting was banned.

How long does Mountain chicken take to make?

Mountain chicken takes 25 min of preparation and 50 min of cooking. The recipe makes 4 servings. It is rated medium to make.

What can I substitute in Mountain chicken?

Yes, within limits. Since the crapaud is protected, cook this with 1.2 kg bone-in chicken thighs, or with farmed frog legs where they are legally sold. Chicken needs 30–35 minutes of simmering rather than 25.

What is the most important thing to get right in Mountain chicken?

Brown them in coconut oil over medium-high heat, 2–3 minutes a side, until pale gold. The flesh is lean and white and firms fast, so do not overwork it. Lift out.