So, Does Everybody Want Biscuits and Gravy?

Waking up on Christmas morning is special and requires a special holiday breakfast. Pancakes or Danish is just too much of the same with all these holiday sweets around, what I need is something savory.  I want something other than my usual tofu scrambler and toast; this is a special day and requires something different.

When I lived in Arkansas in the 1970s, Sunday morning breakfast was a ritual and biscuits and gravy was a staple. I never indulged, being vegan I had no interest, but noticed that it was the source of a lot of excitement for everyone else. At that time, I played it close to the vest, not wanting to alert anyone that I was not partaking in this holy sacrament. I was a stranger in a strange land and really had no business encroaching on their breakfast territory.

When I visited Missouri in 2008, I happened to be with extended family on the weekend and when Sunday morning rolled out of bed, it did so with a resounding, “…so, does everybody want biscuits and gravy?” I hadn’t heard this for at least 30 years, having lived on the East Coast for that long since my days in Arkansas. Being vegan, I passed again and watched the rest of them gorge themselves on this mottled white concoction that they explained as the perfect way to start the day. It perked my curiosity, so I decided to observe the ritual and examine this substance.

These were people who drank beer like water and had about as much interest in vegetarianism as they did particle physics, except for my niece, who is vegetarian and lives amongst them like a zookeeper in a zoo. The biscuits in gravy seemed to have just the right combination of meat, fat, starch and flavor to start their day, diminish the hangover, and get them ready to do a little work, or at least hold them until the next beer run. I found this to be fascinating.

Now it seems that this epicurean staple of the mid-south is a favorite all over the south, so much so you might as well pay for it in confederate money. The funny thing is that it originated in Green Bay, Wisconsin in the 1800’s, in the general area where I was born. So, go figure. A Yankee creation becomes a symbol of southern hospitality. By the nature of the recipe, you would think of it as a cold weather food from dairy country, yet it seems to thrive in down south.

So, I thought I bring it to the East Coast this Christmas, with a makeover. It obviously hasn’t taken root here in its natural form so I thought I would give some preening and, in the process, make it edible to myself. Here is my vegan version.

Ingredients

Biscuits

        1 cup                                      flour, white 
        1 tsp                                       sea salt

        1½ tsp                                    baking powder

        1 Tbsp                                    margarine, melted

        ½ cup                                     soymilk, plain

Gravy

        8 oz                                       vegan sausage*

        ¼ cup                                     Canola oil

        1 Tbsp                                    margarine

        ¼ cup                                     flour, white

        ½ cup                                     vegetable stock

        1½ cup                                   soymilk, plain

        ¼ tsp                                     sea salt

        ½ tsp                                     black pepper

        ½ tsp                                     parsley, fresh

       

Process

Biscuits

Combine the flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Mix the melted margarine into the soymilk and stir this into the flour. Stir this only enough to thoroughly mix, you don’t want to develop the gluten as this will make the biscuits tough. Now take a serving spoon and drop spoonfuls of the dough onto a greased cookie sheet and bake in a 450 degree oven for 12-14 minutes.

Gravy

Heat a soup pot and add the Canola oil. Stir in the sausage and season it with the salt and pepper. When it is almost fully cooked, stir in the tablespoon of margarine. Next, stir in the flour and allow this to brown a little with the meat. Next, stir in the soymilk and finally the vegetable stock. As it comes to a boil, it will thicken so keep stirring. Turn heat to low and stir occasionally to allow it to stay warm and thicken some more while the biscuits are still baking. If it gets too thick, mix in a little more soymilk or vegetable stock.

When biscuits are done, serve with the gravy ladled over the top. Because you hardly mixed the biscuits very little gluten was developed in the process and your biscuits will be light and fluffy. The gravy will be rich and creamy with tasty bits of vegan pork. Adjust to your taste with salt and pepper.

Recipe makes about 12 biscuits.

*use a good vegan sausage such Sol Cuisine, Field Roast or Yves. Mince or grind before using.