Saturday, October 18, 2008

Saturday Morning Short Order Cook



Today’s Lesson: Biscuits and Sausage Gravy. Well, actually just the gravy. My biscuits came from a tube.

On those blissful Saturday mornings that we have no where that we have to be, we like to enjoy a leisurely family breakfast. This means that I assume the role of short order cook. I’m happy to take you along the process of this morning’s breakfast. For me, the foremost important task is to start the coffee. After that things can start happening. Next, I set the oven to 350 degrees (or whatever the refrigerator tube of biscuits instructs) so that it can preheat while I fry up some sausage. When the oven is ready, put in your biscuits so that they are done around the same time as your sausage gravy.

One of my husband’s favorite food in the world is biscuits and gravy, so it’s often on our weekend breakfast menu. However, our daughter “isn’t a fan of gravy” as she puts it, so when I’m browning my sausage I make a couple of little patties for her.






If this picture were a Rorschach test I’d see Jimi Hendrix wearing John Lennon glasses. Do you guys see that? No? Never mind. Me either. Just kidding. I’m totally sane. I swear.

Once the sausage is cooked, I remove it from the skillet. Then melt about 2 tablespoons of butter in the skillet. If you’ve got lots of grease from the sausage, you won’t need to add butter. The grease can act as the fat for your roux. (Roux- A thickening agent made from fat mixed with flour that is cooked together to be used to stiffen the texture of sauces, gravies, and soups) For whatever reason, my sausage doesn’t ever seem to yield enough fat. Therefore, it's butter for our gravy. Glorious butter! Did I mention that biscuits and gravy is FAR from heart healthy? Oh well, too late to turn back now.






Next I add 2-3 tablespoons of flour and stir until smooth.



Now, gradually pour in about 2 cups of milk. Keep stirring, you don’t want lumpy gravy.



Cook and stir over medium-high heat until thickened. Now, return the sausage to the skillet. Give her a stir and salt and pepper to taste.



See, that wasn’t so hard.

Now I’ll fry up an egg for our daughter. She likes em’ over-easy. She’s big on dipping her toast.

Quick. Rorschach again. What do you see?




Now a scrambled egg for the baby.



Here it is, our Saturday morning breakfast:



Happy Saturday to you!

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