Sausage Gravy
- Serves: 6
- Preparation Time: 15 minutes
- Total Cooking time: 15 minutes
Technically speaking, sausage gravy belongs in the sauces section of this book, however, since I can really think of no other meal where sausage gravy is used, I’m putting it here in breakfasts. Sausage gravy really is one of those classic, all – American comfort foods. A stick to your ribs lasts with you all day kind of meal. It is also fairly simple to make, requiring only the cooking time to prepare the sausage then deglaze the pan and thicken it. There are essentially two classic ways to prepare this dish. One method calls for the pan drippings to be used, blending in flour and water or milk, the other approach calls for making a béchamel “mother” or base sauce then adding the cooked sausage at the last minute. Both of these methods have their pros and cons. The first approach, while much more flavorful tends to be a little lumpy. Unless you happen to be really skillful at blending in the liquid to your flour you will almost always end up with some lumps. The other approach produces a smooth textured creamy white sauce but tends to be overcompensated with salt at the table because it is a little bland. The approach used here blends the two methods mentioned above, starting with deglazing the pan with water and milk thus saving the subtle caramelized flavors from cooking the sausage, then thickening it with a cooked flour and oil roux ensuring a smooth texture to the gravy. Biscuits never had it so good.
| Amount | Measure | Ingredients |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | lb. | Fresh country style pork sausage |
| 1 – 1/2 | cups | water |
| 3 1/2 | cups | whole milk |
| 1 | cup | flour |
| 1 | cup | shortening or oil |
| Salt and pepper to taste |
To prepare:
In a large skillet cook the sausage until well browned and cooked through. Remove meat from pan and set aside, reserving the pan drippings. Next, add water to the pan, making sure to scrape the pan and deglazing well. Reduce heat to a simmer. In a small sauce pan heat the oil over medium heat until it is barely shimmering then add the flour and reduce the heat, stirring constantly, being careful not to brown the mixture. When the roux has taken on a well-mixed consistency, remove from heat and set aside. Now, add the milk to the pan deglazings and bring back to a gentle boil. Add the roux in small amounts to the pan, thickening to desired consistency (hint: roux keeps rather well in the refrigerator and is a handy thickening mix to keep on hand). Add sausage back to gravy mixture and add salt and pepper to taste. Serve right away over toast, biscuits, corned beef hash, or whatever other breakfast strikes your fancy.
