Biscuits, gravy, fried egg

It must be the most tender scone in the world, Southern buttermilk biscuit. 

It is not kneaded, not one bit, it is not rolled, that would develop gluten and gluten development is not wanted, it is barely compressed, just barely, and that is why they are so tender. They barely hold together. The loosely compressed shaggy dough pushed in a single movement to smash, a technique called brisée, basically smashing and pushing forward, gathering together and smashing and smearing forward again. Three times max or else you are back to developing gluten, the enemy of tender biscuits.

If they were in muffin tins or bunched together, they would rise up more than spread out.

Biscuits.

Oven exceedingly hot

Ingredients exceedingly cold. Everything cold. Cold. Cold. Cold.

Butter smashed into the flour by hand to concentration.

Baking soda to react with the acid in buttermilk, plus baking powder for extra lift without throwing off the balance of baking soda to buttermilk. Plus salt. Sifted with flour.

Vanilla included with buttermilk. You never see this, but I am doing it. And it is excellent. 

Gravy is assembled very quickly beginning with flour/butter roux. Seasoning added to that going through the spice cabinet right there, the whole thing, taking out portions of teaspoons row by row, picking out brown things, coriander, cumin, garlic powder, cayenne powder, Mexican oregano, combined as a veritable American curry. The trick it to take tiny amounts of each, resist the impulse to overdo it even by 1/2 teaspoon.

Off the heat, sweet red vermouth to turn those powders with flour and butter roux into sludge and clean off the bottom of the pot.

Back on the heat, chicken broth whisked in to viscosity. This all happens within three minutes. You will want to take it home with you by the quart.