If you've been looking for a simple and delicious southern country gravy recipe for all of your homemade biscuits and gravy brunches, fish finger dinners and everything in between, here is the answer to all of your searching.
If you're not sure how this easy white gravy fits into a pescatarian lifestyle, I totally understand. This is most often served as a southern-style sausage gravy over good biscuits, with cooked sausage (and maybe even bacon grease?) taking a starring role.
First, I love to make breakfast sausage from tofu. The highly seasoned crumbles are the perfect addition to this southern white gravy recipe. Combined, they make one of my favorite breakfast recipes of all times. And if you add in a homemade grit cake? Stop it. I just can't.
You might recall I used to work in a popular southern chain restaurant that rhymes with Cracker Barrel. My time there was punctuated by making, serving and consuming massive amounts of this creamy gravy. We called it sawmill gravy there, and when served over homemade buttermilk biscuits, it was a fan favorite.
Bring your own classic country gravy recipe to the next party, and be the talk of the brunch town!
What you'll need to make this delicious white gravy recipe:
- Butter
- All-purpose flour
- Whole milk
- Sea salt and ground black pepper
- Garlic powder
- Cayenne pepper, optional
Step by step instructions for Southern Country Gravy Recipe:
To begin, melt two tablespoons of butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Sprinkle in 2 tablespoons of all purpose flour. Whisk the simple roux and cook for about 2 minutes, enough time to cook out the raw flour taste, without creating a brown gravy.
Next, add about ½ the milk to the pan, whisking to combine.
As the mixture comes up to a simmer and thickens (this will only take a minute), add the second half of the milk, along with the salt, fresh ground black pepper, garlic powder and the pinch of cayenne, if using.
Let the homemade gravy come back up to a simmer. Once it thickens to the point that it holds its shape on the back of the spoon when you run your finger through it, it's ready! Taste and adjust seasoning.
For best results, serve the cream gravy soon after it's finished cooking. Top with diced chives, or if serving for breakfast, serve with tofu sausage crumbles. If you need to reheat later, warm gently over a medium-low heat with and additional quarter cup of milk and whisk while heating.
FAQs and Serving Suggestions:
This great recipe is a nearly a fail-proof gravy option. But you do have a few variables to consider in your comfort food journey.
1) If your gravy gets too thick, just add a little milk to the warm mixture and whisk to combine until it achieves the texture you're looking for in a gravy. My preference is to have the gravy thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon and stand up when I drag my finger through it (without burning my finger!)
2) If it's too thin, make another pot with a small amount of roux (2 teaspoons butter + 2 teaspoons flour) and cook off for a few minutes, then add half the roux to your thin gravy mixture, whisking until the gravy comes up to a simmer.
3) If your gravy gets too much salt, balance it with a little more milk and black pepper. If necessary, you can thicken with more roux.
4) If you're using any kind of pork fat in the white pepper gravy, keep in mind that the meat drippings can add salt to your milk gravy, so season with caution. Let the gravy come up to a simmer and taste before adding any more salt.
If you're not vegetarian or pescatarian, you can use pan drippings from pork sausage or bacon fat. Just use equal parts fat and flour for the perfect ratio. If you're looking for a vegan option, skip the butter and use a neutral oil, then grab your favorite non-dairy milk as a substitute.
The recipe calls for all-purpose flour, but I have used self-rising flour when I was out of good old AP. In this small quantity, I saw no ill effects. Self-rising flour does add a small amount of salt, so again, taste the finished product before adding any additional salt.
I'm on team salted butter, all the way. But salt levels are a matter of preference, and since you get the final say (well, you and your salt shaker) before the rich gravy is served, you can achieve the perfect level of seasoning with any kind of butter.
To store, transfer gravy to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator up to 3 days. Reheat over medium low with a splash of milk.
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Easy Southern Country Gravy Recipe
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 8-10 1x
Ingredients
2 tablespoons butter (or neutral oil)
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 ¼ cups whole milk
½ teaspoon sea salt
¼ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
Pinch cayenne, optional
Instructions
To begin, melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Sprinkle in 2 tablespoons of all purpose flour. Whisk the simple roux and cook for about 2 minutes, enough to cook the flour, without creating a brown gravy.
Next, add about ½ the milk to the pan, whisking to combine. As the mixture comes up to a simmer and thickens (this will only take a minute), add the second half of the milk, along with the salt, fresh ground black pepper, garlic powder and the pinch of cayenne, if using.
Let the homemade gravy come back up to a simmer. Taste and adjust seasoning. For best results, serve the cream gravy soon after it's finished cooking. If you need to reheat later, warm gently over a medium-low heat with and additional quarter cup of milk and whisk while heating.
- Cook Time: 10
- Category: Easy Recipes
- Method: Stove Top
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: Southern Country Gravy Recipe
[…] and adjust seasoning. Remove from heat and top with diced chives. Serve with eggs, grit cakes, southern country gravy or in breakfast […]