BISQUITES & GRAVY -- COOKING

[jinman]

I think I'm a great gravy maker, but that's just because I make it like Mom did and she was the world's best.

I start with sausage or bacon. Of course, patty sausage may have to be "convinced" to give up enough grease to have for gravy, but bacon will have much more fat than you need and require pouring off some. I like to chop up at least one cooked patty and put it aside for the gravy. I add flour according to how much oil I have. Sometimes, I add a dash of olive oil if there is not enough oil from the sausage. The flour should become completely wetted so that it doesn't clump up on your spatula. Keep that flour stirred in the heated frying pan until it turns brown and almost looks and smells burned. Put in the chopped sausage and stir it around just before adding the milk. I normally add at least 6 oz of milk when the flour is browned. Don't drizzle it in, pour it in all at once and start stirring. The brown flour will have a lot less chance of clumping if you pour in that milk and then start stirring with the spatula. As the gravy cooks, listen to the bubbles. As the gravy thickens, it will leave a trail behind the spatula as you stir. If you want a slightly longer cooking time and more control of thickness, just add a couple of ounces of water. Don't add more milk. The milk and flour solution has to cook together and adding more fresh milk will ruin the gravy's taste.

When the bubbles start to pop and you leave a nice trail behind your spatula, the gravy is ready to be poured into a bowl. At this point, you can add salt and pepper, but I prefer to let everyone add their own to their taste. The gravy should be thick enough to stand on the biscuit's top without running off. You should not be able to make out the texture of the split biscuit under the gravy. Of course, as the gravy cools, it will thicken rapidly. My uncle used to say that gravy and syrup shouldn't have to be chased around your plate with a biscuit.

If you have left-over gravy, by all means don't throw it out. For dinner, chop up some tators and boil them until they become cooked. Drain off the water and then pour in the left-over gravy over the boiled potatoes. I guarantee it will be so good it'll make you hurt yourself.:licking:

 

[mjarrels]

Can't remember the name, but there is a sussage gravy in a can thats pretty good. About $1.29 a can and will cover 4 pieces of toast.

mark

 

[sodamo]

This thread sure makes me hungry.

Near as I recall, the only time my grandma put sugar in her biscuits was if they were being covered with fresh strawberries and whipped cream.
Myself, I've been cheating and use Bisquik, shame on me, but still good

David Sent from my iPad using TractorByNet

 

[Bird]

I think I'm a great gravy maker, but that's just because I make it like Mom did and she was the world's best.

I certainly don't disagree with your gravy making procedure, but I find there's less chance of lumps if I stir it with a wire whisk instead of a spoon, spatula, or fork.

Near as I recall, the only time my grandma put sugar in her biscuits was if they were being covered with fresh strawberries and whipped cream.

As I said before, I don't recall anyone putting sugar in the biscuits, but I did learn a bad habit from my grandfather. You open a biscuit to put butter in it and close it back until the butter is melted, then take one half (top or bottom) at a time and hold it at an angle over the sugar bowl while you pour a spoonful of sugar on it. The sugar that doesn't stick to the buttered biscuit runs back into the sugar bowl. Quite tasty but I haven't done that in many years.:laughing:

 

[crash325]

Did some shopping today. naturally, I did not look at my list and forgot a bunch of stuff.

I passed on the Butter milk, self rising flour and cream. Did get some canned milk and yeast.
Forgot butter also. Hate shopping, just want to leave & get home.

I do not understand why people take the sausage out - then put it back. Just leave it in there, add flour and stir. When slightly brown add milk. I don't have lumps.

Right out of the oven a couple of bisquiets with butter are yummy. After that, gravy, jam or jelly.

 

[jinman]

I certainly don't disagree with your gravy making procedure, but I find there's less chance of lumps if I stir it with a wire whisk instead of a spoon, spatula, or fork.

:ashamed::ashamed::ashamed: Okay! You got me! There's one thing I don't use that my mother did. I get lazy and use a thick aluminum teflon coated fry pan instead of cast iron. Because of that, I can't use a wire whisk. I use a nylon coated slotted turner with an angled edge, so it is really not a spatula. However, my mom used a metal slotted turner in her cast iron fryin' pan too. The extra heat retained by the cast iron pan probably makes the gravy cook and thicken quicker and is the reason my mother ALWAYS added half a glass of water to her gravy.

Today, my wife won't make gravy. She can't make it. Her's turns out undercooked, thin, and low flavor. I truly think the key to the gravy's taste is how long you brown the flour. As crash325 said, you can chop up and add the sausage from the beginning and let it brown along with the flour. Crumbled bacon also is a treat. Who doesn't like bacon?

EDIT:Oh yes! Bird I also use the Pillsbury frozen biscuits in a bag. They are as good as homemade and lots easier.

 

[caver]

My Dad makes the drop biscuits on the Bisquick box. He just spreads the dough out evenly across a toaster oven pan.
Then he draws a knife through it in squares so they break apart more cleanly. He makes the best B&G I think I've ever had
although my buddy told me about this convenience store that had a small kitchen for breakfast. theirs was probably just as good.

 

[Ed of all trades]

Never heard of such a long list in a biscuit recipe. 2 cups flour
1 Table spoon, backing powder
1/3 cup shortening maybe a little more
3/4 milk or for those of us who can't do milk, water
role them out and cut with a small pineapple can, used to measure the flour as well, stays in the flour container. Bake in a hot oven, the old wood cook stove we used when I was a kid would get above 500 by the needle on the door and that is when the biscuits were best. Same recipe my mom used and her mom before that, don't know how her mom did it but these are GOOD biscuits. As gravy is concerned anything that will make gravy is better than no gravy at all, once had catfish gravy, won't the best I ever ate but it was gravy.:thumbsup:

 

[Bird]

I get lazy and use a thick aluminum teflon coated fry pan instead of cast iron. Because of that, I can't use a wire whisk. I use a nylon coated slotted turner with an angled edge, so it is really not a spatula. However, my mom used a metal slotted turner in her cast iron fryin' pan too.

Aaah yes, I understand. We have some non-stick skillets that we really like, and do not use metal utensils on them, but we also have some uncoated stainless steel skillets and always make the gravy in one of them. So of course we have both metal and nylon slotted turners, too. Cast iron skillets are good, but we have one of these glass topped cookstoves now, so I'm a bit afraid to use cast iron on it.

 

[dave1949]

Aaah yes, I understand. We have some non-stick skillets that we really like, and do not use metal utensils on them, but we also have some uncoated stainless steel skillets and always make the gravy in one of them. So of course we have both metal and nylon slotted turners, too. Cast iron skillets are good, but we have one of these glass topped cookstoves now, so I'm a bit afraid to use cast iron on it.

Yes, you would get blamed for any scratches. Better safe than real sorry :laughing: