Applestone in the Kitchen: Biscuits and Sausage Gravy

Mar 30

Today in Applestone in the Kitchen, we're making biscuits and sausage gravy. This recipe is an easy way to make a small amount of sausage serve a lot of people. We have tips for making your biscuits extra crumbly (hint: cornmeal, if you have some on hand). If you'd like this to feel like a heartier meal, serve with poached eggs.

Biscuits and Sausage Gravy

Cooking Time: 25 minutes

Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients

For the Biscuits:

4 cups all-purpose flour (or 3 cups all purpose flour and 1 cup fine cornmeal, if you prefer a more crumbly biscuit)

5 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons sugar

1 cup chilled butter, cut into small slices

2 ½ cups buttermilk (or whole milk)

For the Sausage Gravy:

½ pound breakfast sausage, removed from casing, you can substitute other sausages, too; chorizo makes a surprising spicy gravy!

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 cups milk

Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 450℉. Meanwhile, mix all dry ingredients in a large bowl.

2. Add cold butter into the dry, mixing a little at a time, and kneading it until it resembles coarse crumbs.

3. Add buttermilk or milk a little at a time, stirring until a batter forms. It will not be smooth; it will look a little like yogurt with granola mixed in.

4. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper, or grease it with cooking spray, butter, whatever you have. Drop spoonfuls of batter onto the prepared cookie sheet.

5. Bake for 12 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from oven and cool on a rack. If no rack is available, use a plate. Just don’t cool on the cookie sheet or bottoms will get overcooked.

6. As they cool, heat a pan over medium-low heat, add loose sausage, and cook until evenly browned.

7. Stir in flour to make a roux. Then, stir in milk and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Add more liquid if gravy gets too thick.

8. Assemble to serve: cut biscuits in half and ladle gravy over the halves. Serve with soft poached eggs if you’d like.

STORAGE TIP:

Leftover gravy -- cooled completely -- can be stored for about a week in a sealed container in the fridge or freezer. If you think it has been in there too long, give it a look and a smell. To reheat, warm some milk in a saucepan and whisk in spoonfuls of cold gravy until heated and desired consistency.