Country Special Recipe

Preheat

Preheat oven to 450°F (230°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment or lightly grease.

In a medium bowl whisk together 1 cup all-purpose flour, 1 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp sugar, and 1/4 tsp salt until evenly combined.

Add the 2 tbs cold cubed butter to the flour mixture. Using a pastry cutter or your fingertips, cut or rub the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some pea-sized bits remaining.

Make a well in the center and pour in 1/2 cup cold milk or buttermilk. Stir gently with a fork until a shaggy dough forms. Do not overmix; dough should hold together but be slightly sticky.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, fold it over 2–3 times to bring it together, and pat to about 1-inch thickness. For a half order make one large biscuit approximately 3–3.5 inches across or two small biscuits.

Use a 2.5–3 inch round biscuit cutter or a knife to cut. Place biscuits onto prepared baking sheet, brush tops lightly with melted butter if desired.

Bake in the preheated oven 10–12 minutes or until golden brown on top and cooked through. Remove and keep warm while you prepare the gravy and eggs.

While biscuits bake (or after preheating a skillet), heat a medium skillet over medium heat. Add 6 oz applewood smoked pork sausage (removed from casing if necessary). Cook, breaking up meat with a spatula, until browned and cooked through, about 5–7 minutes. If the sausage releases a lot of fat, spoon off and discard excess, leaving about 1 tablespoon fat; if lean, add 1 tbs unsalted butter to the pan.

Stir in 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour to the sausage and fat. Cook, stirring constantly, about 1–2 minutes to remove raw flour taste and form a roux.

Slowly pour in 1 1/4 cups whole milk while whisking to prevent lumps. Bring mixture to a gentle simmer, stirring frequently, and cook until thickened to gravy consistency, about 3–5 minutes.

Season with 1/2 tsp salt, 3/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper, and 1/8 tsp cayenne or a dash of hot sauce if using. Taste and adjust seasoning. If gravy becomes too thick, thin with a splash of milk to reach desired pourable texture.

Reduce heat to low and keep gravy warm while finishing eggs and biscuits. If needed, cover to prevent skin from forming.

Choose your egg style: fried (sunny-side or over-easy), scrambled, or poached. Below are concise methods for each. Use 1 tbs unsalted butter and 1/4 tsp salt and 1/8 tsp black pepper total.

Fried (Sunny-Side or Over-Easy)

Heat a nonstick skillet over medium-low and add 1 tbs butter. Once melted and bubbling but not brown, crack 2 eggs into the skillet. Season with 1/8 tsp salt and 1/16 tsp pepper. For sunny-side: cook until whites are set but yolks still runny, about 2–3 minutes. For over-easy: when whites are set, carefully flip and cook 20–30 seconds more for a runny yolk.

Scrambled

Crack 2 eggs into a bowl, season with salt and pepper, and whisk until homogenous. Heat 1 tbs butter over medium-low, pour eggs in, let set briefly, then gently push curds with a spatula until just-cooked but still soft, about 2–3 minutes. Remove from heat slightly early to avoid overcooking.

Poached

Bring a saucepan of water to a gentle simmer and add a splash of vinegar (optional). Crack an egg into a small cup, create a gentle whirlpool, and slip the egg in. Poach 3 minutes for a runny yolk or 4 minutes for a slightly firmer yolk. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towel.

Keep eggs warm and serve immediately over the warm biscuit with sausage gravy spooned over. Alternatively, place eggs next to the biscuit and ladle gravy on the side per preference.

Split the warm biscuit in half. Place on a plate, top with the cooked eggs (or place eggs alongside), then generously spoon the applewood smoked sausage gravy over the biscuit halves and, if desired, a little over the eggs.

Garnish with an extra grind of black pepper and serve immediately.