BISCUITS & GRAVY & EGGS EXTRAORDINAIRE

Biscuits & Gravy & Eggs Extraordinaire image

The art of making this classic southern "stick-to-your-ribs-and-leave-you-smilin'-all-day" breakfast is, unfortunately being lost to the fat-phoebic. EVERYONE should know how to make a truly great Biscuits & Gravy breakfast, if not just to see your man smile from ear to ear one Saturday morning a year (right before he has to mow the lawn ;-) ) I have been known to run to our local McDonalds at 6am and pick up a few of their terrific plain biscuits, on lazy days. P.S. Found an even EASIER (and maybe BETTER) biscuit recipe here on 'Zaar http://www.recipezaar.com/58913 ).

Provided by Pellerin

Categories Breads

Time 50m

Yield 9 Biscuits, 6-8 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 20

Ingredients

2 cups flour (all-purpose or soft flour, sifted)
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt (regular table salt, not kosher)
2 tablespoons butter, very cold
1 tablespoon butter flavor shortening, very cold
1 tablespoon lard, very cold (YES, lard! or shortening, if you're chicken)
1 cup buttermilk (chilled in freezer 15-20 minutes)
2 tablespoons butter (salted, melted)
12 ounces pork sausage (Jimmy Dean regular bulk, not links)
7 slices bacon (Applewood Smoked or other hardwood-smoked)
4 cups milk (not skim)
3 tablespoons butter
3 -4 tablespoons flour
salt & pepper
8 eggs
2 tablespoons half-and-half cream or 2 tablespoons cream
1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper

Steps:

To save time, make gravy the night before, and let flavors meld. That way, all you have to do in the morning are the biscuits and eggs 8-).
GRAVY: On MEDIUM (not high) heat, crumble and sauté sausage - remove to plate.
On MEDIUM heat, gently brown bacon - remove to plate & crumble.
In same pan, keep about 3 Tablespoons of the rendered drippings from sausage & bacon. Add butter to melt.
Make roux by adding 3 Tablespoons of flour to start with, add 1-2 Tablespoons more if you feel you need it. Slowly, whisk in cream then milk. Gently bring to a simmer for several minutes to thicken. Stir in crumbled sausage and bacon. Add a little salt, and plenty of pepper, to taste. (Can put in fridge for morning now). Makes 5 cups.
BISCUITS: Preheat oven to 450°.
In a large, chilled mixing bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Using two knives in a scissor-like fashion (or a pastry cutter), cut in the fats into the dry ingredients. Make a well in the center and pour in the chilled buttermilk. Stir just until the dough comes together. The dough will be very sticky.
Turn dough onto floured surface, dust top with flour and gently fold dough over on itself 5 or 6 times. Press into a 1-inch thick round. Cut out biscuits with a 2- or 3-inch cutter, (I use a ½ cup measuring cup) being sure to push straight down through the dough (do not twist on the way down!).
Immediately place biscuits on a clay baking sheet, sprayed with Pam, so that they just touch, "shoulder-to-shoulder"- they'll rise better, and not get too brown. You don't want to give them a chance to rise, until they hit the oven. Gently reform scrap dough, working it as little as possible and continue cutting.
Bake until biscuits are tall and light gold on top, 15 to 20 minutes. Brush tops with melted butter. Makes about 9 two to three-inch biscuits.
EGGS: Crack the eggs into a bowl. Add the cream and whisk until the eggs look foamy and light. Heat a 10-inch non-stick skillet over medium heat. Melt the butter until it foams, and then turn the heat down to low and slowly pour in the eggs.
Using a heat resistant rubber spatula, slowly stir the eggs from the outside of the pan to the center. Once the eggs begin to set, stirring slowly will create large, cloud-like curds. Season with salt & pepper.
SERVE: Split a biscuit. Dot with butter. Either place scrambled eggs, then gravy, or - as I do, gravy first, and fluffy eggs on top.