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Martha’s Southern fried eggs, biscuits and gravy

Learn how to make the classic dish with tender, flaky, tangy biscuits

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March 26: Tired of your boring breakfast? Martha Stewart reveals how you can put a fun twist on an old favorite.

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updated 10:07 a.m. ET March 26, 2008

To celebrate spring, Martha Stewart demonstrates a delicious recipe for Southern fried eggs over buttermilk biscuits with sausage gravy, as featured in the April issue of Martha Stewart Living. This shamelessly rich, homey classic is too often mediocre, but it's memorable when made well. Success lies in a creamy gravy tinged with the faint heat of cayenne, eggs sunny-side up, plenty of pepper, and tender, flaky, tangy biscuits:


Flaky buttermilk biscuits
Martha Stewart

Makes 12

INGREDIENTS

3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for surface and cutter
1 cup cake flour (not self-rising)
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1 stick (1/2 cup) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces, plus 2 tablespoons melted butter for brushing
1/2 cup vegetable shortening, cut into small pieces and chilled
1 1/2 cups buttermilk

Recipe continues below ↓
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DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Sift together flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar. Repeat. Using a pastry cutter, cut in butter and shortening until mixture resembles coarse meal. Make a well in center, and add buttermilk. Stir until dough holds together.

Turn dough onto a generously floured surface. Fold dough over on itself 3 or 4 times. Pat to 1 inch thick. Cut out rounds with a floured 3-inch biscuit cutter. Place rounds 2 inches apart on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Gather scraps, and repeat. Brush tops with melted butter.

Bake until golden brown, 15 to 18 minutes. Serve warm, or let cool completely and store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

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Sausage gravy
Martha Stewart

Makes 2 cups

INGREDIENTS

8 ounces pork breakfast sausage (if using links, remove casing), crumbled
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3/4 cup evaporated milk
1 1/2 cups homemade or low-sodium store-bought chicken stock
1/4 cup half-and-half
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
Small pinch of cayenne pepper
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

DIRECTIONS

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add sausage and cook, turning occasionally and breaking into small pieces with a wooden spoon, until browned, about 10 minutes.

Using a slotted spoon, transfer sausage to a bowl. Reserve about 3 tablespoons pan drippings in skillet, and pour off remaining drippings. Add flour, and cook over medium heat, stirring, for 4 minutes. Stir in evaporated milk, stock, and half-and-half. Bring to a simmer, stirring and scraping bottom of skillet constantly, and cook until thickened, about 8 minutes. Stir in nutmeg, cayenne, salt, pepper, and reserved sausage.

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Southern fried eggs over buttermilk biscuits with sausage gravy
Martha Stewart

Serves 4-8

INGREDIENTS

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil or unsalted butter
8 large eggs
8 Flaky Buttermilk Biscuits
Sausage Gravy
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Hot sauce, such as Tabasco, to taste

DIRECTIONS

Heat 1 tablespoon oil or butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Crack 4 eggs into skillet, and cook, uncovered, until whites are set, about 2 minutes (if you prefer to cook your yolks further, cover skillet).

Transfer to a plate. Repeat. Arrange 1 or 2 biscuits on each plate. Top with gravy. Place 1 egg on each biscuit. Season with salt, pepper, and hot sauce.

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For more great recipes and cooking tips, visit Martha Stewart online.

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