Pao Jiao Niu Wa (Bullfrog with Pickled Chilies)
The Ultimate Collaboration of Spicy Sour Fermented Chili and Frog
Description
A flagship dish of 'Niu Wa' (Bullfrog), omnipresent on Gachi-Chuka menus. Extremely tender, bouncy frog meat braised with 'Pao Jiao', lacto-fermented chilies that provide intense sourness and heat.
Restaurants serving Pao Jiao Niu Wa (Bullfrog with Pickled Chilies)
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On this site you can check dictionary details and, later, places to buy or eat related items.
The Recipe section below is a general reference, not a recipe from the listed shops.
Recipe
Ingredients
- Bullfrog(Niu Wa)
- Pao Jiao(Fermented chilies)
- Cucumber/Celery
- Garlic
- Ginger
- Sichuan peppercorn
Instructions
- [Authentic Recipe]
- Butcher fresh bullfrogs and chop into bite-sized pieces. Massage with salt, pepper, wine, egg white, and starch to coat and tenderize the meat to the limit.
- Chop the soul of the dish: 'Pao Jiao' (green/red chilies lacto-fermented in brine for months).
- Heat oil in a wok, flash-fry (Hua Chao) the coated frog meat briefly, and remove.
- Fry the Pao Jiao, garlic, ginger, and Sichuan peppercorns on low heat, transferring the intense 'sour-spicy umami' into the oil.
- Pour in broth, add frog meat and veg (cucumber/celery), and simmer for a few minutes.
- Frog meat dries out quickly; thicken and finish at the exact moment the meat slides off the bone.
Learn more Spice, substitutes, tips
Key spices
Refreshing sourness and heat of Pao Jiao
Substitutes at Japanese supermarkets
Chicken thighs (but frog is far smoother)
Pairing
Baijiu / White Rice
Trivia
[Trivia] Japanese people often view frog as bizarre, but in China, it's a massive hit among youth as a 'premium ingredient more elegant than chicken and bouncier than fish'. Frog specialty shops are surging in Shin-Okubo.
Eating tips & etiquette
[Unique Eating] Frog meat contains many tiny, complex bones. Slurp the silky meat off inside your mouth and skillfully spit out the bare bones.
Allergen
Eggs, Wheat, Soybeans (depends on seasoning)