Saturday, January 1, 2011

BISCUITS AND GRAVY

When it comes to Biscuits and Gravy, you are either a lover of it or a hater.  I love them but would never order them at a restaurant because you never know what they are really made of.  So when I make them at home they are consumed in large quantities.  A single batch is never enough to go around. 
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Start out with a good quality sausage.  I use the country mild or regular but if you like it to have some extra kick they make the hot kind.
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Brown the sausage in a large pan.  Break the pieces up so there are no large chunks.
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Add 1/4 cup chopped onions.  I had an onion hater in the group so I didn’t really dump these in.
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Instead I fried them in a  separate pan and added them at the end after taking some out and setting it aside for him.
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Add 6 Tablespoons of flour to the meat.
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Stir and let this cook over low heat for about 5 minutes.
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It should look like this, the flour is cooked into the meat.
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Pour in 4 cups of milk.  Please use whole milk, its the right thing to do.
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Add 1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning and 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg.
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Add 1/2 teaspoon salt.
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Now a couple dashes or worcestershire sauce.
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And last a few dashes of hot sauce.  Put in as much as your taste desires, or none at all if you don’t desire it.
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Stir together and cook over low to medium heat until it thickens.  Try to keep the heat on the lower side or it will start to stick on the bottom of the pan. 
While the sausage & gravy is cooking you have time to mix up the biscuits. 
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Start with 2 cups of flour in the food processor.
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Add 4 teaspoons of baking powder to the flour.
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Now 3 teaspoons of sugar and 1/2 teaspoon of salt.
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Cube 1/2 cup of cold butter (1 stick) and put in processor.
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Blend until butter  chunks are gone.  If you do not have a processor you can just cut the butter into the flour mixture with a pastry blender.
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In a mixing bowl, pour 2/3 cup of buttermilk.
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Add one egg and whisk until combined.
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Dump the flour mixture into the bowl and mix with a spoon just until moistened.
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The dough will be very sticky.
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Generously flour your counter and dump the dough from the bowl onto the counter.  Now put a generous amount of flour on top of the dough.  Knead the dough about 20 times.
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You should end up with a nice ball of dough. 
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Roll out to 3/4 inch thick.
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Cut with a round biscuit cutter.
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And place on a greased baking sheet.  Bake at 450 degrees for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown.
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To serve, place biscuits on plate and pour gravy mixture over top.  This isn’t a very good picture but my company had arrived and they were all hungry so I had to hurry to finish it up. 

BISCUITS AND GRAVY
1 pkg Jimmy Dean sausage
1/4 cup chopped onions
6 Tablespoons flour
4 cups whole milk
1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
dash Worchestershire sauce
dash hot pepper sauce
Brown sausage and onion.  Add flour and cook over low heat for 5 minutes.  Stir in milk.  Add seasonings and cook over low heat, stirring until thickened.

Biscuits
2 cups flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
3 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup cold butter, cubed
2/3 cup buttermilk
1 egg
Combine flour, baking powder, sugar, salt and butter in food processor.  In separate bowl, whisk the buttermilk and egg.  Add flour mixture and stir just until moistened.  Turn onto a well floured surface and knead 20 times.  Roll to 3/4 inch thick and cut with a biscuit cutter.  Place on a greased baking sheet and bake at 450 degrees for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown.  Makes 12 biscuits
This recipe makes enough to serve six people.  I usually have to double it.
The Law of Perseverance
Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.  Matthew 7:7