Fried Eggs Over Buttermilk Biscuits with Sausage Gravy
This shamelessly rich, homey classic is too often mediocre, but it’s memorable when made well. Success lies in a creamy gravy tinged with the faint heat of cayenne, eggs sunny-side up, plenty of pepper, and tender, flaky, tangy biscuits. Are you up for the task of making this classic Southern breakfast?
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Although it can be the quickest kitchen chore, cooking eggs is often the trickiest mission an experienced cook can perform. (Chefs frequently audition line cooks by asking them to scramble an egg or make an omelet.) Eggs bring with them the clean farmhouse scent of happy abundance, the satisfaction of a well-made omelet, the sunny-yellow taste of fresh butter, and the promise of the day to come.
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Warm biscuits fresh from the oven are impossible to resist. Whether you want to bake a savory buttery biscuit or a sweet one for shortcake, certain tricks will help you turn out rich and flaky results. Biscuits are all based on the principle of mixing flour with a leavening agent, such as baking powder or yeast, which helps them rise, adding a liquid, and forming and cutting them into a desired shape and size.
To make the perfect biscuit, start by preheating oven to 400 degrees. Sift together flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar. Repeat. Using a pastry cutter, cut in butter and shortening until mixture resembles coarse meal. Make a well in center, and add buttermilk. Stir until dough holds together. Turn dough onto a generously floured surface. Fold dough over on itself 3 or 4 times. Pat to 1 inch thick. Cut out rounds with a floured 3-inch biscuit cutter. Place rounds 2 inches apart on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Gather scraps, and repeat. Brush tops with melted butter. Bake until golden brown, 15 to 18 minutes. Serve warm, or let cool completely and store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. Then you’re ready to smother them with sausage gravy!
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Sausage Gravy
8 ounces pork breakfast sausage (if using links, remove casing), crumbled
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3/4 cup evaporated milk
1 1/2 cups homemade or low-sodium store-bought chicken stock
1/4 cup half-and-half
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
Small pinch of cayenne pepper
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add sausage, and cook, turning occasionally and breaking into small pieces with a wooden spoon, until browned, about 10 minutes.
2. Using a slotted spoon, transfer sausage to a bowl. Reserve about 3 tablespoons pan drippings in skillet, and pour off remaining drippings. Add flour, and cook over medium heat, stirring, for 4 minutes. Stir in evaporated milk, stock, and half-and-half. Bring to a simmer, stirring and scraping bottom of skillet constantly, and cook until thickened, about 8 minutes. Stir in nutmeg, cayenne, salt, pepper, and reserved sausage.
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Now, let’s put it all together for the ultimate southern breakfast!
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, or unsalted butter
8 large eggs
8 Flaky Buttermilk Biscuits
Sausage Gravy
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Hot sauce, such as Tabasco, to taste
Heat 1 tablespoon oil or butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Crack 4 eggs into skillet, and cook, uncovered, until whites are set, about 2 minutes. (If you prefer to cook your yolks further, cover skillet.) Transfer to a plate. Repeat. Arrange 1 or 2 biscuits on each plate. Top with gravy. Place 1 egg on each biscuit. Season with salt, pepper, and hot sauce.
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