Two years ago, Kevin and I traveled to Tennessee during one of our friends’ trip weekends. We stayed at a cabin, hiked, and had some very good southern food. One of the staple foods popular in the south is biscuits. More often than not, the biscuits are served with gravy. These biscuits were not the same as the biscuits I got at the local fried chicken chain shops in Brooklyn. These biscuits were fluffy, had a nice texture, and were served with a large scoop of gravy. I tried making my own biscuits at home for Thanksgiving the same year. The biscuits turned out great, but something was missing...
Two months ago, I was craving cacio e pepe and biscuits. I’m not sure why I was craving those dishes specifically, but it did inspire me to make Parmesan and black pepper biscuits. The biscuits turned out better than I had imagined. This time around, I also made a vegetarian friendly gravy using mushrooms to serve alongside the biscuits. The flavor combination was fantastic.
Parmesan Black Pepper Biscuits and Mushroom Gravy
Biscuits:
· 2 cups all-purpose flour
· 2 tablespoons baking powder
· 1 teaspoon kosher salt
· 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
· 3 ounces Parmigiano-Reggiano or Parmesan cheese, grated
· ½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
· 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold and cubed
· 1 cup whole milk, cold
Gravy:
· 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
· 10-12 small button mushrooms, chopped into small pieces
· 1 tablespoon all purpose flour
· ½ teaspoon kosher salt
· ½ teaspoon seasoned salt
· ½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
· 1 cup whole milk
Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
2) In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, cheese, and black pepper. Add in the cubed unsalted butter.
3) Using a pastry cutter, cut the butter and flour together. Continue mixing until you achieve a crumbly texture. (I’ve also used my hands to quickly crumble the butter and flour mixture together. This method works, but you have to work quickly to prevent your hands from melting the butter.)
4) Once you achieve the crumbly texture, add in the whole milk and gently bring the dough together forming a large, thick dough. Use a 2-inch biscuit cutter to cut out about 8-11 biscuits. Place the biscuits on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
5) Bake the biscuits in the preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes until golden brown.
6) To make the gravy, heat a skillet over medium heat. Melt the butter in the skillet. Add the chopped mushrooms, and cook until browned, about 3 minutes. Add the flour and cook about 1-2 minutes. Add the salt, seasoned salt, and black pepper. Add milk and cook until milk reduces into a gravy, about 5 minutes. Serve the gravy with the biscuits.
Takeaways: The biscuits are delicious enjoyed by themselves. The gravy does add a nice flavorful touch to the dish. Having tried them both ways, I prefer my biscuits served with gravy.