Biscuits & Veggie Sausage Gravy from Jean Aw of NOTCOT
What do our fellow bloggers, writers, and online friends eat, first thing in the morning? We are asking some friends to share their favorite morning nourishment with us. I will cook and eat it too, and bring you their thoughts on what to eat first thing in the morning.
I thought I wasn’t a gravy person (for shame, my Southern ancestors would scoff at me!), until I met Jean and Jackson’s very special recipe. Now I’m unsure if I can eat a bare biscuit ever again! Find out how these design hounds serve it up proper and vegetarian!
Jean is the founder of NOTCOT, a network of design sites. Most of the sites are interactive and content is generated by users interested in the world of fashion, travel, design, food and drink. Within the NOTCOT network, there’s something for everyone, the spectrum of ideas and aesthetics covered is pretty astounding. The food site, Tasteologie, consists of drool-worthy page after drool-worthy page of delicious-looking food uploaded by food bloggers and enthusiasts. It’s a delicious way to spend a few hours, and an inspiring tool in finding the next recipe. Jackson does a great job as the culinary editor of my favorite branch of NOTCOT.
About this breakfast Jean says:
We’re both adventurous omnivores, and he’s definitely the more culinarily inclined of the two of us — from his love of BBQ and beer brewing, to baking and experimenting in the kitchen. I’m definitely more drawn to plating, restaurant/bar decor, and a soft spot for comfort foods! But one thing we both agree on — a good solid breakfast/brunch is not to be missed! And when we saw you asked for vegetarian breakfast, Biscuits and Gravy was the unanimous choice! While neither of us are vegetarian, i love the Morning Star Sausage links, and for a healthier alternative to the traditional biscuits and gravy they are perfect!
As a die—hard biscuit fan, always seeking the purest, flakiest and maximal butter flavor, I am a seeker of the next great tip or recipe to achieve greatness in this area. In my quest for the perfect biscuit, I usually eat the tender morsel solo, as to really be able to judge its merits and weaknesses. Gravy, it’s just never been my thing — until I tried Jean and Jackson’s veggie sausage version, that is! Once I had this gravy made and smothered my light, butter-laden biscuit with the special sauce, I was totally smitten. It’s not the heavy, cloying, fatty, gluey gravy I see across my city’s diners — it’s flavorful and luscious without being greasy. It’s a fantastic recipe and compliments these wonderful biscuits perfectly.
Alton Brown's Biscuits and Veggie Sausage Gravy
Serves 3 to 4
Nutritional Info
Ingredients
For the gravy:
- 3 tablespoons
olive oil (divided)
- 1/2 stick
of butter or margarine)
- 1
box of Morning Star Sausage Links
- 1/4 cup
all-pupose flour
- 3 cups
1% milk
- 1/4 teaspoon
salt
- 1/4 teaspoon
freshly ground black pepper
For the Alton Brown Biscuits:
- 2 cups
flour
- 4 teaspoons
baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon
baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoon
salt
- 2 tablespoons
butter
- 2 tablespoons
shortening
- 1 cup
buttermilk, chilled
Instructions
Make the gravy:
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a skillet. Add sausage, cook until browned. Remove sausage from pan and break up the links till they are crumbled. Add butter and remaining 2 tablespoons oil to the pan. After butter foams, whisk in flour until combined. Whisk in milk. Add salt, pepper, and return crumbled sausage to the pan. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat. Let it simmer until it thickens.
Make the biscuits:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Using your fingertips, rub butter and shortening into dry ingredients until mixture looks like crumbs. (The faster the better, you don't want the fats to melt.) 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-inch cutter, being sure to push straight down through the dough. Place biscuits on baking sheet so that they just touch. Reform scrap dough, working it as little as possible and continue cutting. (Biscuits from the second pass will not be quite as light as those from the first, but hey, that's life.)
Bake until biscuits are tall and light gold on top, 15 to 20 minutes.
Thanks Jean and Jackson for contributing to our Breakfast with a Blogger series!
• Visit the sites: NOT COT & Tasteologie
(Images: Leela Cyd Ross, image of Jean provided by Jean)