Ingredients: | |
---|---|
1/2 lb | Vegetarian sausage (I use MorningStar Farms' 6-pack) |
3 tbsp | Butter |
2 tbsp | Flour |
2 cups | Milk (skim works well; higher fat will thicken more and require more for thinning) |
1/2 tbsp | Rubbed sage |
3/4 tsp | Savory (optional) |
(to taste) | MSG, salt, black pepper |
Procedure:
Thaw the sausage patties if they are frozen. For MorningStar Farms, I microwave for 2-3 minutes on high with all six patties on one plate.
Shred the sausage patties. I use two forks, one to anchor a patty and the other to pull off chunks. It should look like cooked ground beef when finished, but a little chunkier.
Melt the butter in a large frying pan. Add the sausage and cook on medium heat, stirring regularly, for 5-10 minutes. The sausage should take on a slightly darker color, and the granules will look a little smaller.
Sprinkle the flour on top, one tablespoon at a time, stirring until it is not really visible any more. This is also a good time to mix in some black pepper; I usually go with about a dozen turns of my grinder.
Add the milk and mix until the sausage is evenly distributed. Add the sage. Turn the heat up to high and keep stirring until the milk begins to boil. The gravy should thicken very quickly at this point, so turn the heat down to medium-low until the desired thickness is reached. Add the rest of the seasonings to taste. I usually use about a half teaspoon each of MSG and kosher salt, and sometimes a little more black pepper.
If the gravy gets too thick, stir in more milk to thin it to your liking. It will tend to thicken a bit as it cools, so aim for a little thinner than you want it to be on the plate.
This recipe works great for sausage gravy and biscuits (or, as my wife and I tend to say, "sausage biscuits and gravy"). It should cover 4-6 biscuits, or all 8 of a Pillsbury can if you use enough milk.