Buttermilk Biscuits and (Mushroom) Gravy

Recently, Trey and I went to Portland to visit family and friends. And, uh, hang out in Portland. Duh. I had never been to Portland before, and it was super fun. Lovely city with some wonderful people (hi Portland people!). We got breakfast out most mornings (love breakfast out!), and one time I ordered biscuits and gravy.
I haven’t eaten biscuits and gravy in years, and I had forgotten how much I love it! Trey and I are pescatarians, so usually biscuits and gravy are not an option for us. However this brunch spot had two gravy options: sausage gravy or mushroom gravy.

I tried, loved it, ate way too much and immediately planned to try to make it when I got home. Even though this recipe is vegetarian friendly my meat eating brother told me that he loved this too (my brother is often my kitchen guinea pig). First, let’s start with the biscuits:

Buttermilk and Black Pepper Biscuits, makes 10-12

2 cups flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
6 tablespoons cold butter
3/4 cup buttermilk
2 tablespoons honey

In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and pepper.Cut in the cold butter and blend until the mixture is a coarse grain. You can do this in a food processor or by hand with a pastry blender. Put this in the refrigerator for 10 minutes.

In a small bowl, stir together the buttermilk and honey. Now combine the buttermilk mixture with the biscuit batter and knead together just until a dough forms. Roll out on a lightly floured surface until it’s about 1 to 1 1/2 inches thick. Cut out the biscuits. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

To get that pretty golden top, whisk and egg in a bowl then brush a little bit over the tops of the biscuits. Sprinkle on just a bit more pepper and bake at 400°F for 12 minutes until golden brown.

Mushroom Gravy, makes about 5 cups

6 ounces chopped mushrooms (I used baby portobello)
1/4 cup chopped onions
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 stick (1/2 cup) butter
1/4 cup flour
salt, pepper, cumin (or other spices you like)
1/2 cup vegetable stock
1 1/2 cup milk

In a pot, saute the onions in the olive oil over medium heat until they begin to soften. Then add in the mushrooms and cook until soft. Remove the mushroom and onions (but leave the cooking juices) and set aside. In the same pot, melt the butter. Whisk in the flour and allow to cook/bubble for a few minutes, stirring constantly.

At this point, you can season your roux with any seasoning you like, I used pepper, cumin and tiny bit of cayenne. Now, stir in the stock, milk and the cooked mushrooms and onions. I like my gravy on the thick side. But if you find yours is too thick, add more stock.

Serve hot over warm biscuits.

Make a big breakfast for your family this week! And if you are not feeling the mushrooms, feel free to swap it out for a similar amount of sausage (being sure to cook your meat thoroughly). Enjoy! xo. Emma