Biscuit time! (we haven't had a good food thread for a while)

[Belinda Barfield]

Call is what you will Joe, but gravy by nature is made with a roux base. Either butter/flour, lard/flour, bacon or sausage grease/flour, or some sort of meat drippings or juices. As a thickener corn starch can also be substituted.

[Joe Angrisani]

Gram's tomato 'gravy' is an Italian expression as far as I know. Sounds like any southern gravy is roux base, so I see where you're going.

I make a New Mexico-style green chili that gets it's deep flavor from the pork shoulder roux that starts it off. So would that be Green Gravy?

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And just to make a footnote: Inflection is easily lost. I'm grinning and having fun as I make fun of "regular" biscuits and gravy gravy and whatnot. Look at it this way: There's more for you guys.

[John Lohmann]

add 1/2 tsp cream of tartar to basic biscuit recipe, not mix, makes common biscuits better

[Mark Ashmeade]

Bourbon biscuits (my favourite!)

4 ounces plain flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ ounce cocoa
2 ounces butter
2 ounces caster sugar or 2 ounces superfine sugar
1 tablespoon golden syrup
granulated sugar , for coating the biscuits
for filling
1 ounce chocolate , melted
1 ½ tablespoons water
2 ounces icing sugar or 2 ounces confectioners' sugar , sifted
1⁄8; teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions:


1 Sift together flour, baking powder and cocoa.
2 Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy and beat in syrup.
3 Stir in half of the flour mixture.
4 Turn dough on to working surface and knead in remaining flour mixture.
5 Roll out to 1/4 inch thickness.
6 Sprinkle top with granulated sugar and press in with rolling pin.
7 Cut dough into neat fingers (approx. 1 x 2 1/2 inches).
8 Lift on to greased baking sheet.
9 Prick each biscuit 2 or 3 times with a fork.
10 Bake at 325oF/160oC/gas mark 3 for 15-20 minutes.
11 Cool.
12 Beat all remaining ingredients for filling together.
13 Sandwich biscuits together in pairs.




Read more: http://www.food.com/recipe/bourbon-b...#ixzz1opISwqHS

[Van Huskey]

[QUOTE=Joe Angrisani;1892672]Gram's tomato 'gravy' is an Italian expression as far as I know. Sounds like any southern gravy is roux base, so I see where you're going.

I make a New Mexico-style green chili that gets it's deep flavor from the pork shoulder roux that starts it off. So would that be Green Gravy?

I did make a point to differentiate Italian-American gravy from the Southern tomato gravy. I do agree with Belinda that gravy is indeed roux based BUT this is an example of translation not misunderstanding or misidentification.

[Van Huskey]

Van.... To compare biscuits and gravy "gravy" to bechamel IS heresy. I've never seen or tasted a bechamel made with a sausage grease base.

I am not comparing it to, I am saying it is a Béchamel. I also think the way in which it is transformed into a small sauce follows the ethos of classical French cuisine which I don't think would cause Escoffier to roll over in his grave. Given the current direction of American cuisine in regard to sausage and bacon I would not be surprised see it on the plate of a progressive chef.

We all have out palates and they are all different and frankly I don't like all gravys.

[Belinda Barfield]

I'm with you Van. I really don't like gravy, other than over roast beef and then it's more of a thickened au jus than a gravy. I do cook one dish though that starts with a gravy base. Brown gravy and a can of tomatoes (basically tomato gravy), add browned boneless pork chops and onions and simmer for 20 or so minutes.

I did make some lovely Butternut Squash soup last night that did not involve either gravy or tomatoes.

[Leigh Costello]

I took my recipe for biscuits and changed it to suit hubby - he likes bread in any form but not lard as shortening - and I use the recipe as a starting point for many quick breads. I use bout 2 to 2-1/2 c. flour (whatever is handy), 1 Tbsp. baking powder, 1/4 c. sugar, 1 egg, 1 c. milk and a splash of vanilla. Mix until wet, add more flour until you can turn out onto a floured surface. Knead a bit until the dough is springy, press into the shape of your pan, cut as desired, dip in melted butter and set in your pan, bake at 425 or so for 15 minutes or so. I often made Mickey Mouse bread as my daughter called it because I used a Mickey Mouse cake pan. Good enough for gravy or they stand on their own fairly well too.

I have lots of variations to suit any meal and there are seldom leftovers. Which is one of the many reasons my basement resembles a workshop on one end and a classy gym on the other.

[David Weaver]

3 more biscuits for breakfast this morning (another small batch yesterday).

And a reiteration of whoever said earlier not to overmix or overknead the dough.