Homemade biscuits and sausage gravy
Comfort food of the first degree is worth every calorie.
By Janet Keeler, Times Food and Travel Editor
Published September 26, 2007
Tried and True
This monthly feature focuses on classic recipes with instruction on how to make them at home. The techniques aren't difficult and once mastered can be used to prepare other recipes. Coming in October: chicken noodle soup. On the Web: For past dishes, go to dining.tampabay.com.
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If you are going to eat something that's not good for you, it should, at the very least, make you swoon.
That's how I feel about the Southern breakfast staple, biscuits and sausage gravy. Too many times I've had doughy biscuits smothered with gummy gravy, neither of which had enough flavor to justify the calorie gorge. For a long time, I didn't get the attraction.
The worst offender was a diner in Sonoma, Calif. The biscuits were big enough to wear as hats, but not nearly as tasty. Equally offensive was the pasty white glop suffocating them. What did I expect of biscuits and gravy in wine country?
But I've had lousy ones around these parts, too.
I've learned to make both at home well enough to please the family, through probably not good enough to satisfy a Southern grandma. I don't let that stop me, and neither should you.
Biscuits and sausage gravy is a comforting weekend splurge, and remember, the daring duo doesn't always have to be served with ham, eggs, toast and grits. There's no law against a side of fresh fruit.
The gravy
Sausage gravy is sometimes called sawmill gravy or more arcanely, scorch gravy, because the flour is browned almost to the point of burning.
My first attempt was a luxe white sauce of butter, flour and whole milk. Salt and pepper to taste. To that, I mixed cooked, crumbled and drained ground pork sausage. How could it not be good?
But making sausage gravy this way takes two pans, plus the flavor of the meat doesn't permeate the gravy. Face it, with the butter and flour roux, it's just too French.
The beauty of Southern sausage gravy is that it takes care of two tasks - cooking the sausage and making the gravy - in one skillet and in less than 30 minutes. I make both biscuits and gravy in less than 1 hour.
The fat rendered from the ground sausage is enough to bind the flour for thickening. It also flavors it. Use hot or mild sausage, whatever you like. I like sage sausage, but stay away from maple because it makes the gravy too sweet. (Turkey sausage or reduced-fat pork sausage is a possibility, but you'll likely have to add canola or vegetable oil when the flour is mixed in. Lean meat doesn't give off much fat.)
Add the flour to the sausage and brown. Because the sausage is already brown, this can be tough to determine. Mix together for about 4 minutes, stirring regularly to prevent burning. As always, if it smells like it's burning, it is.
This next part is where you can reduce calories and fat: the liquid. Two-percent milk will give you nearly the same result as whole. Only a true dairyman will discern the difference.
To further reduce fat, use skim milk. This will make a thinner gravy, but it's worth a try to see if it passes the family taste test. I've even used half non-fat milk and half low-sodium, nonfat chicken broth. The flavor was good and you don't need additional salt.
Experimentation is the key to success with sausage gravy. A musician perfects a song by playing it repeatedly. Why should a cook be any different?
The biscuits
Which came first? The biscuit or the gravy?
In my house, it was the gravy. For the longest time, I'd been afraid to tackle biscuits. My gosh, the legend is just too big.
For years, I've used the refrigerated dough discs that spring from exploding cans. Quick, easy and pretty darn tasty when paired with gravy. Or so I thought.
Believe it or not, there can be too much butter in those biscuits. I realized this after I made them from scratch. Granted, they weren't those giant cat-head biscuits everyone talks about, but the crumb (that's the pillowy insides) was tight and sturdy. All ready to host a heaping ladle of sausage gravy.
As with pie crust, the key to biscuit dough is not to over-mix. It's okay if there are visible flakes of butter or shortening. (Crisco is zero trans fat now! Woo-hoo!) The little dabs of fat keep the biscuit tender.
Work the ingredients until they just come together, then turn out the sticky ball to a lightly floured surface. Roll to a 1/2-inch thickness. Don't eyeball it; measure it. The Paula Deen recipe I use makes a dozen biscuits. If you get 16, they will be too scrawny.
I don't have a seasoned cast iron skillet handed down through the generations. Mine comes from Emeril Lagasse's cookware collection, and it bakes biscuits just fine. You can put them on a baking sheet, but the cast iron facilitates that coveted browning on the bottom. Plus, it just looks so country.
Let the biscuits rest for a few minutes, then split and cover with the warm sausage gravy.
I know. It's not really good for you. But it sure is good.
Janet K. Keeler can be reached at (727) 893-8586 or jkeeler@sptimes.com.
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Biscuits
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
21/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
1 to 11/4 cup milk
1/4 cup butter, melted
- Preheat oven to 450. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Cut in shortening with a pastry blender until crumbly. Gradually add milk, stirring just until dry ingredients are moistened. Dough should be sticky.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll dough to 1/2-inch thickness with a floured rolling pin. Cut 12 biscuits with a 21/2-inch round cutter or an inverted glass. (You may have to reroll scraps to get a dozen.) Place biscuits in a cast iron skillet; brush with half of melted butter.
- Bake for 12 to 14 minutes, or until lightly browned. Brush with remaining melted butter.
Makes 12.
Source: Paula Deen
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Easy Country Gravy
1 pound ground sausage (see note)
3/4 cup flour
4 1/2 cups milk
Salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons butter
- Saute sausage over medium-high heat in a large skillet until browned and crumbly. Reduce heat to medium and add flour to sausage; mix thoroughly. Cook until flour browns, about 4 minutes. Stir frequently so flour doesn't burn on the bottom of the pan.
- Add milk slowly; increase heat to medium-high. Stir often. Add salt and pepper to taste. As gravy comes to a boil, it will thicken. If it is too thick for your taste, add 1/4 cup milk. Reduce heat after bringing to a boil and cook for 5 minutes. Add butter, stirring until it melts.
Note: Ground sausage comes in several flavors and heat levels. Use what you like with the exception of maple sausage. That can make the gravy too sweet.
Makes 4 cups.
Source: Adapted from www.cookingcache.com