Biscuits and gravy

[craigjm]

Does anyone have a tried and tested recipe for this American "meal"? I have been asked to make it for a group of American friends, looked it up online and was quite horrified by what I found is that really a meal?

so, over to you, recipes please!

[Marf]

"Biscuits" are basically scones aren't they?

[The Major]

so they just have biscuits an gravy? or do they have something else like mince under the scones in the gravy.

if its just scones an gravy, thats a bit of a stty meal, an not actually a meal.

[craigjm]

Marf said:

"Biscuits" are basically scones aren't they?

I get that impression so it seems to me like a meal of buttermilk scones with creamy gravy! yuk

[Composite Guru]

My uncle lives in Texas and duing my time visiting him back in 98 i tried this.

As said, the biscuits are like scones and the gravy is some enhanced chicken flavored slop you stick on them. I wasn't lovin it but its a big thing in the states.

TBH, in a country that pours maple syrup all over their fried egg, sausage links, streaky bacon and pancakes you have to be missing quite a few taste buds to enjoy it.

On the other hand the US does do some nice burgers and steaks.

[shakotan]

Biscuits and gravy is a side dish, like mashed potatoes or broccoli. It's not meant to be a meal on its own.

Buttermilk 'scones' in a peppery white sauce, often with bits of ham or sausage in it. Personally I love it.

Whenever I go West Coast and do the drive from LA to LV, I always stop and have brunch at Peggy Sue's diner. Steak and Eggs [over medium] with a side of Biscuits and Sausage Gravy, with a Vanilla Cherry Coke.

[Caulkhead]

As said biscuits are effectively plain scones and 'gravy' is basicly a white sauce made from a bit of fat, flour, milk and salt and pepper.

It's a popular breakfast dish in the south but I struggle to see the appeal.

It used to be served quite often for the US Army and was known as 'Sh!t on a Shingle', ie sausage gravy on toast.

[Mobile Chicane]

'Kenny' of 'Kenny's Cajun & Creole' says that 'proper' Southern gravy is made by mixing flour and evaporated milk into the juices and debris at the bottom of a pan in which a roast chicken has been cooked.

Still not selling it to me. Evaporated milk - yuk.

[CarTimeNow]

i was inspired to make this after watching far too many episodes of diners drivein's and dives.

the best thing to do i get hold of some Jiffy biscuit mix and some Old Bay seasoning.

make up the biscuits according to the packet and put to one side whilst the oven heats up and you start the gravy.
Skin 2 sausages per person and put the meat in a saucepan, (i add a splash of oil as i find that i don't get enough fat to make the roux otherwise), cook the sausagemeat down til browned and mincelike consistancy.

• Put the biscuits in the oven now.**

add 2 tablespoons of flour to the saucepan and stir til the meat is coated and the fat absorbed, remove from the heat and add about half a cup of milk, stir (wooden spoon is fine) until thick paste and continue to make your "white sauce" aka "gravy by adding milk until it is a bit runnier than you like. at this point i add a generous shaking of Old Bay (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Bay_Seasoning)

heat the sauce until it thickens to a sludge like consistancy and then serve over the warm split biscuits.

• disclaimer** i don't work for this company but i use http://www.americansweets.co.uk/ for getting the jiffy mix and old bay **

i found that this is stick to your ribs comfort food and definitely something to have if you only need one meal that day

[Wadeski]

The Biscuits: Nice. An excellent place to put a fried egg.

The Gravy: Gross. It usually looks like dog sick.

[David A]

Whatever you do, don't have grits. I think it roughly translates to "thick gruel that oliver twist wouldn't ask for seconds of"

[ibisti]

I tried the gravy thing after many episodes of Diners, Drive ins and Dives. Ig goes like this and is pretty good with a smoked turkey.
Saute a finely chopped onion in some bacon fat in a deep heavy dish, when translucent add in 3 to 4 de-skinned sausages and "chop" them up as you stir and cook them until they look a bit like mince. They should provide enough fat for you now to add some plain flour ( roughly 2 table spoons). Once all of the fat is absorbed by the flour start adding milk ( I use 1/2 fat too keep the calories down a bit!) I think about a pint is about right, but add it slowly so the sauce doesnt get lumpy ( its a white sauce really). I now season with lots of black pepper and a bit of salt to taste. I like it nice and thick, but you can slacken it off with more milk. On the tv they always use double cream, but thats the yanks for you!

[Mastodon2]

I had biscuits and gravy on a breakfast buffet (admittedly at a 5 star hotel) in Vegas, and I thought it was really nice. The yanks seem to love it, but in my experience, what they really go wild for is snow crab legs!

[LooneyTunes]

Must confess, I opened this out of curiosity expecting it to be a dog food thread placed on the wrong part of the site!

Sounds just about as appealing as dog food though.

[devnull]

So if a biscuit is a scone, what the hell do the americans calls biscuits in the british sense?

I've seen these biscuits and gravy on programs like Man V Food, etc. Curious to try, but they look a bit boring!

[craigjm]

devnull said:

So if a biscuit is a scone, what the hell do the americans calls biscuits in the british sense?

cookies

[Stu R]

devnull said:

So if a biscuit is a scone, what the hell do the americans calls biscuits in the british sense?

I've seen these biscuits and gravy on programs like Man V Food, etc. Curious to try, but they look a bit boring!

Cookies.

They're not the same as scones, just very similar. Done right biscuits and gravy is pretty good in a bland peasant-food kind of way, but I wouldn't go out of my way for them. Just pour some milk over some cheap scones and tell them they're a tribute to cracker barrel restaurant food or something, they'll probably be impressed. Maybe.