Personal Chef Deborah Lee Walker is in the DelmarvaLife Kitchen showing us how to make sausage, gravy, and biscuits with her own special twist.
Homemade Sausage Gravy
Ingredients
2 lbs. Italian sausage
2 tablespoons bacon drippings
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
8 cups half and half
3 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon dried, crushed rosemary
several dashes of favorite hot sauce (optional)
freshly ground black pepper
fresh sage as a garnish
1. Remove casings from the sausage. Tear the meat into small pieces, try to get
a variety of sizes to make your gravy more interesting.
2. Place the pieces of sausage in a large skillet or sauté pan over medium-high
heat, and cook until they are no longer pink. Remove the sausage and place
in a bowl. Set aside.
3. Mix the bacon drippings and flour with the sausage fat. Reduce heat to medium
and cook the roux for 2 minutes, constantly stirring.
4. Add 1 cup of half and half to the roux and whisk until all of the lumps are
dissolved. You may have to use the back of a large spoon to help get rid of the
lumps. Repeat this process for the second, third, and fourth cup.
5. Then, add two cups and again make sure the gravy is lump free. Add the
remaining 2 cups of cream and whisk to form a smooth consistency.
6. If you have any lumps, this is the time to strain the gravy through a fine mesh
sieve.
7. Add salt, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, rosemary, hot sauce, and
sausage. Stir to fully incorporate all the ingredients.
8. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover, and cook for 4 minutes. Serve over hot biscuits
or toast, and add a light dusting of freshly ground black pepper and a garnish of
fresh sage.
Serves 4 to 6
