Frogs with Eggs

History

"Ranas con huevos" (frogs with eggs) is documented as a recipe in the Spanish home-cookery book La Mejor Cocinera, Recetas de Cocina, published in Madrid by Editorial (Saturnino) Calleja. The book carries no named author and opens by dedicating itself "A la dueña del hogar" — to the homemaker. The precise imprint year is uncertain: located bibliographic records place editions at roughly 1921, 1923, and 1943, rather than confirming any earlier date. The recipe itself is brief. Frogs are boiled in a wide vessel of salted water seasoned with parsley and fried garlic with "todas especias" (all spices); once boiling, the frogs are added to cook, and four to six fried eggs ("huevos estrellados") are scattered among them and the dish served very hot. Beyond the recipe's own printed text and its appearance in this book, the historical record I could open does not document a specific geographic origin, regional lineage, or social standing for this particular dish.

Ingredients

• water
• salt
• parsley
• garlic, fried
• 4–6 eggs
• frogs

Instructions

1. Heat water in a wide vessel with salt, parsley, and fried garlic seasoned with all spices. Once the liquid is boiling, add the frogs to cook. Scatter the fried eggs among them. Serve very hot.