Sausage Gravy

Crumbled breakfast sausage and its rendered fat form the base for a peppery, milk-thickened gravy that stays loose enough to spoon.

25 min

4 servings

Ingredients

1 lb bulk breakfast sausage

3 tbsp all-purpose flour

3 cups whole milk

1 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1/2 tsp kosher salt

Wide skillet · Whisk · Wooden spoon · Liquid measuring cup

Avoid lumps

Whisk milk in slowly and scrape the skillet bottom so flour paste does not hide along the edges.

Serve warm

Spoon the gravy over split biscuits if desired, or serve it alongside another breakfast dish.

01. Crumble sausage into a cold skillet and brown over medium heat, breaking it into small pieces.

02. Leave about 3 tablespoons of rendered fat in the skillet and spoon off any extra.

03. Stir in flour and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, until it coats the sausage and loses its raw smell without taking on much color.

04. Whisk in milk gradually, working each addition into the flour paste before pouring in more.

05. Simmer gently for 5 to 8 minutes, stirring often, until the gravy thickens but still flows from a spoon.

06. Season with black pepper and salt, tasting carefully because the sausage may already be salty.

07. For lumps, lower the heat, whisk briskly, and press stubborn flour clumps against the skillet with a spoon.

08. If the gravy is too thick, whisk in small splashes of measured milk until it is loose but still clings to a spoon.