Charred Biscuits & Gravy Recipe
house buttermilk biscuits | low country sausage gravy | 2 sunnyside eggs | fried sage choice of side
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Ingredients
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Biscuits
Low Country Sausage Gravy
Eggs & Sage
Finish & Serving
Method
Biscuits
- 1
Prepare dry ingredients
Preheat oven to 475°F (245°C). In a large bowl combine 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 tbsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp baking soda, and 1 tsp fine sea salt; whisk to blend.
- 2
Cut in butter
Grate or finely dice 6 tbsp cold unsalted butter and work into the flour with a pastry cutter or your fingertips until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal with some pea-sized butter bits remaining (about 6-8 short strokes). Keep butter cold to get flaky layers.
- 3
Add buttermilk and shape
Pour 1 cup cold buttermilk into the dry mix and gently fold with a spatula until a sticky dough forms. Do not overmix. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and pat to a rectangle about 1-inch thick. Fold dough over itself 2 times (gently) to create layers, then pat to 1-inch thickness again.
- 4
Cut and char
Dust a baking sheet with 2 tbsp coarse cornmeal. Use a 2.5-inch round cutter (or a glass) and press straight down—do not twist—to cut 6 biscuits. Place biscuits on the cornmeal-dusted baking sheet so edges just touch. Brush tops with 2 tbsp heavy cream or melted butter. To achieve the 'charred' effect, preheat a cast-iron skillet on high until very hot, then place the tray of biscuits (or transfer biscuits singly) face-down on the hot skillet for 20–30 seconds to lightly char the bottom and create a smoky note; work in small batches and be careful of steam and sticking. Return biscuits to the baking sheet, char side down, and bake in the preheated oven for 12–15 minutes until golden-brown on top and cooked through.
- 5
Low Country Sausage Gravy
- 6
Brown the sausage
In a large skillet over medium-high heat, melt 1 tbsp unsalted butter. Add 1 lb bulk pork breakfast sausage. Break sausage up with a spatula and cook until well browned and slightly crisp in places, about 8–10 minutes. Spoon or tilt out and reserve 2–3 tbsp of rendered fat in the pan; discard excess or reserve for another use.
- 7
- 8
Add liquids
Slowly whisk in 2 1/2 cups whole milk and 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken stock, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Bring to a gentle simmer; gravy will begin to thicken after 3–5 minutes. If it becomes too thick, add a splash more milk or stock to reach desired consistency (you want a spoon-coating gravy).
- 9
Season and finish
Stir in 1 tsp kosher salt, 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper (or more to taste), 1 tsp hot sauce, and 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves. Simmer gently for 2–3 minutes to meld flavors. Taste and adjust seasoning. Keep warm on lowest heat, stirring occasionally.
Eggs & Sage
- 10
Crisp the sage
Heat 1 tsp vegetable oil in a small nonstick or cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add 6 fresh sage leaves in a single layer and fry quickly until edges crisp, about 10–15 seconds per side. Transfer sage to paper towel and season lightly with a pinch of salt. Reduce heat to medium-low and wipe skillet if needed.
- 11
Fry the eggs sunny-side
Add 2 tbsp unsalted butter to the skillet over medium-low heat. Once butter foams but before it browns, crack 2 large eggs carefully into the pan. Cook slowly sunny-side up: baste the whites with spoonfuls of melted butter (or cover the pan for 30–60 seconds for slightly more set tops) until whites are set but yolks remain runny, about 2–3 minutes. Season eggs with 1/4 tsp sea salt and 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper. Remove from heat and keep warm.
Finish & Serving
- 12
Assemble
Split biscuits in half. Spoon a generous ladle (about 1/3–1/2 cup) of hot sausage gravy over the bottom half of each biscuit. Place one sunny-side egg on top of the gravy, nestle 2–3 crisped sage leaves beside or over the egg, and cap with the biscuit top if desired. Drizzle a little hot honey or hot sauce if using, and sprinkle with 1 tbsp chopped chives or parsley.
- 13
Serve with side
Plate with your choice of side (hash browns, grits, or a simple salad). Serve immediately so biscuits remain warm and yolks are runny.
- 14