Truffled Biscuits and Gravy
A Truffle a Day — Day 26
Biscuits and gravy are an Appalachian staple. Add truffles for the perfect representation of Frappalachian (my special hybrid term for French-Appalachian) fare.
Ingredients:
FOR THE BISCUITS
2 cups self-rising flour
(or 2 cups all-purpose flour and 1 tablespoon baking powder)
1 teaspoon large grain salt (a bit less if using self-rising flour)
1¼ cup heavy cream
About ¹∕ ³ ounce truffle, freshly grated
FOR THE GRAVY
2 tablespoons fat
1 tablespoon flour
1–2 cups milk
Salt and pepper, to taste
About ¹∕ ³ ounce truffle, freshly grated
Preparation:
To make the biscuits:
Preheat your oven to 425°F. Sift flour and leavening (if not using self-rising flour) into a bowl, or simply pour in the bowl and whisk around a time or two to fluff up. Add salt and a grating of truffles, pour in cream, and stir around rapidly with a fork until the mass clumps together into a ball. If it is too flaky, add a touch more cream; it should stick together without being overly soggy.
Flour your hands and pat out the dough on a floured surface to a thickness of ½–¾ inch. Fold dough over on itself and pat out again. Fold over one more time, pat out to preferred thickness, and cut into rounds with a biscuit cutter or an upside down glass dipped in flour.
Place biscuits side-by-side (just touching) in a glass pie dish or in a cast iron skillet, and bake for 10–12 minutes until just golden on top.
To make the gravy:
Melt fat in a skillet, add flour, salt and pepper, and whisk around until flour is incorporated with the fat. Add milk, continuing to whisk, and cook down until your preferred gravy texture is reached. (Be sure to stop just before you reach that texture, as gravy will keep cooking even after it is removed from the pan.) Add more liquid if needed, finishing off with a grating of truffles.
A Truffle a Day is a series of one-a-day truffle recipes, excerpted from the soon-to-be-released Cooking with Truffles: A Chef’s Guide. All recipes can be prepared with or without truffles, depending on the voluptuousness of your pantry.
