Turkey Sausage Gravy and Flaky Biscuits

Cory Hughes turns biscuits and gravy into a delicious holiday side dish.

Cory Hughes of Fig & Ash shares his Thanksgiving recipes, based on the “warm, nourishing, stick-to-your-guts kind of food,” he keeps on his own holiday table.

Turkey Sausage Gravy

Ingredients
½ cup diced smoked turkey sausage

1 oz clarified butter

1 oz all-purpose flour

2 ½ cups turkey stock

2 tbsp fresh thyme leaves, minced

Instructions

In a skillet, place the diced turkey sausage with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and cook until crispy and hot. Remove and set aside.

Wipe out the skillet and add the clarified butter and flour. Stir on low-medium heat until roux forms. It should look like wallpaper paste; you'll know the roux is ready when it smells like Jiffy Pop. You're looking for an almond color.

Stir in the turkey stock with a whisk until fully incorporated. Whisk until the stock turns to almost a boil and then reduce to a light simmer for 20 minutes. Make sure you’re whisking every couple of minutes.

Take the turkey sausage and drain out any excess fat. Fold into the gravy. Add the minced fresh thyme and taste. Adjust with salt and pepper if necessary. Pro tip: When the turkey breast comes out of the sous vide bag add the liquid to a measuring cup. Split the fat out and add the turkey juice to your turkey stock. Remember, if you add 1 cup of stock you'll need to adjust the roux ratio.

Flaky Biscuit

Ingredients

2 cup All-Purpose Flour

2 tbsp baking powder

1 tbsp sugar

2 tsp salt

16 tbsp frozen butter

3/4 cup milk

Instructions

Combine all the dry ingredients together. With a pastry blender, add in the butter and mash until fully incorporated. Add the milk and let sit for 20 minutes. If the biscuits are too tacky to work with, try adding a tablespoon of flour at a time.

Then, divide the dough into six equal portions and bake at 425 degrees with a high fan.

RECIPE BY CORY HUGHES/PHOTOGRAPHY BY DAVE BRYCE/STYLING BY KEITH RECKER