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Thursday, May 1, 2008

Start the Day Down South...



Biscuits and gravy is as Southern as it comes. Well, OK, there are actually plenty of dishes that fit that category (pound cake, anyone?), but biscuits and gravy is at least one of the most classic Southern ways to start your day. And even though it's only Thursday, this Southern girl is already dreaming of weekends, when she actually has time to fix biscuits and gravy in the morning... because, regardless of whether it's the Southern breakfast, it surely has to be the most heavenly one. Tender, delicate biscuits, surrounded by a thick, rich, intensely flavorful sauce...



C'mon. Join me, and be Southern for a day. Or at least for a really, really delicious morning...








Biscuits and Gravy

For Biscuits:
3 cups flour
1 tsp salt
2 T baking powder
1/4 cup light canola margarine
1 and 1/4 to 1 1/2 cups milk

For Gravy:
4 slices bacon OR 4 slices vegetarian "bacon" plus 1 T olive oil
1 lb. lean ground beef OR 1 lb. vegetarian "beef" crumbles plus 1 T olive oil
7 T flour or dry roux mix, if you have it (see photo below... :-)
2 to 3 cups of milk



~ Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
~ Start by preparing biscuits. Sift flour, salt, and baking powder together.
~ Pulse flour mixture and margarine together in a food processor until the mixture resembles fine meal.
~ In a large mixing bowl, add enough milk to make a soft dough - start with 1 1/4 cups, and add the additional 1/4 cup if needed.
~ On a clean, floured surface, pat the dough out to 1/4" thickness. Fold the dough in half, then pat it out to 1/4" thick again.
~ Using a floured biscuit cutter or glass (I use a white wine glass!),
cut out circles and transfer them to an oiled baking sheet.
~ Bake for 10 minutes - until the tops are just beginning to turn golden brown, and the biscuits are still tender.
~ While the biscuits are baking, prepare the gravy... In a large skillet over medium-high heat, fry the bacon (or "bacon") until crispy. Remove the bacon from the skillet, blot with paper towels, and set aside.
~ Remove all of the grease except for just enough to coat the bottom of the skillet. Add the ground beef (or vegetarian "beef" crumbles), and saute over medium-high heat until browned.
~ Chop the bacon (or "bacon") into 1/2" pieces, and stir in with the ground beef.
~ Add 4 T flour or roux mix, one T at a time, stirring well after each tablespoon and allowing the newly added flour to be well incorporated and brown a bit.
~ Pour in the milk, and stir to combine. Add the remaining 3 T flour or roux mix, one T at a time, while stirring in the milk. Start with 2 cups milk, and add an additional one if you like your gravy a bit thinner. Heat, stirring constantly, until thickened.
~ Serve the biscuits smothered in gravy!




8 comments:

  1. Biscuits and gravy for breakfast? OK that's gotta be worth a link!

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  2. When I think of Southern cuisine, I ALWAYS think of Biscuits & Gravy first - looks comforting!

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  3. I have not had biscuits and gravy but yours look and sound really good!

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  4. This looks so good!! It is lunch time here and I could do with some of that.

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  5. I read your post and understood that to be Southern means to be on cloud nine too! :)

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  6. I freakin' love Biscuits and Gravy!!

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  7. CookieMouse, thank you so much for the link! You're so sweet!

    VeggieGirl, I completely agree - biscuits and gravy are definitely on the list of ultimate comfort foods! :-)

    Kevin, thank you so much!

    CakeLaw, thank you! This is me trying to send you some over the web for lunch... :-)

    Awww, Anya, thank you! :-) *giggles*

    Lina, thank you so much for visiting! Three cheers for a fellow biscuits and gravy fan! :-)

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  8. "biscuits" and gravy. Hehehe.

    When we were in LA recently, we went into a KFC thinking it would be familiar cuisine. Oh, how we were mistaken. All the meals had weird fried scone things (biscuits!), pinto beans, strange bits of chicken with gravy and other unidentifiable stodge.

    We stood at the counter for AGES just wondering where the chicken, chips and baked beans were.

    And that wasn't even the south!

    Love learning about your Southern cooking :)

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