Chef Remy
Cajun All-Purpose Seasoning
A brick-red Louisiana spice blend with layered heat, earthy herbs, and aromatic depth that transforms anything it touches into something worth fighting over at the dinner table.
Culinary Explorer
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Tasso Cream Gravy
Created by Chef Remy
Smoky, spiced tasso ham rendered crisp and stirred into a silky cream gravy kissed with cayenne, the kind of sauce that makes buttermilk biscuits worth getting out of bed for
Sauces & Condiments
Cajun
Weeknight
Comfort Food
10 min
Active Time
25 min cook•35 min total
YieldAbout 3 cups
Tasso changes everything it touches. That smoky, peppery pork carries enough personality to transform a simple cream gravy into something that makes you close your eyes and forget whatever else you had planned for the morning.
My grandmother Evangeline kept tasso in her icebox the way other folks keep butter. She'd shave off a few slices for red beans, dice some into her eggs, crumble it over greens. But when she made this gravy, she'd render those little cubes until the edges went crispy and the fat turned into liquid gold. That's where your flavor lives. Don't rush it.
The technique here is simple but unforgiving. You're building a blond roux, nothing dark like you'd use for gumbo. Just enough color to cook out the raw flour taste and give the gravy some depth. Then cream, a touch of stock, and all that rendered tasso fat bringing smoke and heat to every spoonful. At Lagniappe, we serve this over our house biscuits at brunch, and I've watched grown men go quiet with the first bite.
Taste as you go. The tasso brings its own salt and heat, so hold back on seasoning until the end. Every piece of tasso is different depending on who made it, so trust your palate. That's the bayou way.
The technique, the tradition, and the story behind every dish.
Discover Culinary ExplorerIngredients
tasso ham
Quantity
6 ounces
cut into small dice
unsalted butter
Quantity
3 tablespoons
all-purpose flour
Quantity
3 tablespoons
yellow onion
Quantity
1/2 cup
finely diced
garlic
Quantity
2 cloves
minced
heavy cream
Quantity
1 1/2 cups
chicken stock
Quantity
1 cup
black pepper
Quantity
1/2 teaspoon
freshly ground
cayenne pepper
Quantity
1/4 teaspoon, plus more to taste
white pepper
Quantity
1/4 teaspoon
fresh thyme leaves
Quantity
1/2 teaspoon
kosher salt
Quantity
to taste
fresh parsley
Quantity
2 tablespoons
chopped
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| tasso hamcut into small dice | 6 ounces |
| unsalted butter | 3 tablespoons |
| all-purpose flour | 3 tablespoons |
| yellow onionfinely diced | 1/2 cup |
| garlicminced | 2 cloves |
| heavy cream | 1 1/2 cups |
| chicken stock | 1 cup |
| black pepperfreshly ground | 1/2 teaspoon |
| cayenne pepper | 1/4 teaspoon, plus more to taste |
| white pepper | 1/4 teaspoon |
| fresh thyme leaves | 1/2 teaspoon |
| kosher salt | to taste |
| fresh parsleychopped | 2 tablespoons |
Equipment Needed
- •Heavy-bottomed saucepan or 10-inch skillet
- •Whisk
- •Slotted spoon
Instructions
- 1
Render the tasso
Set a heavy skillet or saucepan over medium heat. Add the diced tasso and let it cook undisturbed for two to three minutes. You want those little cubes to render their fat and develop crispy edges. Stir occasionally for another three to four minutes until the tasso is golden brown and the pan has a nice slick of reddish, spiced fat. This fat is flavor you're building. Remove the tasso with a slotted spoon and set aside, leaving every drop of that rendered goodness in the pan.
Don't crowd the tasso or it will steam instead of crisp. If your pan is small, work in batches. - 2
Build the roux
Add the butter to the rendered tasso fat. Once melted and foaming, whisk in the flour all at once. Keep whisking constantly over medium heat for three to four minutes. You're looking for a blond roux, the color of light peanut butter, with a slightly nutty smell. No dark roux here. This lighter color keeps the gravy creamy and pale while still cooking out that raw flour taste.
If you see dark specks forming, your heat is too high. Reduce immediately and keep that whisk moving. - 3
Cook the aromatics
Add the diced onion to the roux and stir well to coat. Cook for two to three minutes until the onion softens and turns translucent. Add the garlic and cook thirty seconds more, just until fragrant. The roux will look thick and pasty. That's exactly right.
- 4
Add the liquids
Pour in the chicken stock in a slow, steady stream while whisking constantly. The mixture will seize up and get thick before it loosens. Keep whisking. Once the stock is incorporated and smooth, add the heavy cream the same way. Whisk until you have a silky, uniform sauce with no lumps. Bring to a gentle simmer.
Room temperature liquids incorporate more smoothly than cold. If you're in a hurry, cold works fine with vigorous whisking. - 5
Season and simmer
Add the black pepper, cayenne, white pepper, and thyme leaves. Reduce heat to low and let the gravy simmer gently for eight to ten minutes, stirring occasionally. It will thicken as it cooks. The gravy should coat a spoon nicely but still flow. If it gets too thick, add a splash more stock or cream.
- 6
Finish and adjust
Return the crispy tasso to the gravy and stir to combine. Simmer another two minutes to let the flavors marry. Now taste. The tasso brings salt and heat, so you may need nothing, or you may want more cayenne to wake things up. Add salt only if needed. Stir in the fresh parsley just before serving.
If you like more heat, add cayenne a pinch at a time. You can always add more, but you cannot take it back. - 7
Serve immediately
Ladle generously over split buttermilk biscuits, scrambled eggs, grits, or fried chicken. This gravy wants to be eaten hot, when the tasso bits are still crispy at the edges and the cream is glossy and flowing. When the last bite is as good as the first, you've done it right.
Chef Tips
- •If you can't find tasso, don't substitute regular ham. Use andouille sausage instead, diced small. It won't be the same, but it'll be closer than bland ham ever could.
- •At Lagniappe, we save the gravy when we have leftover tasso scraps from other dishes. Nothing goes to waste in a Cajun kitchen.
- •The gravy thickens as it cools. When reheating, add a splash of cream or stock and whisk over low heat until it returns to that silky consistency.
- •This sauce works magic on more than biscuits. Try it over a pan-fried pork chop, spooned into a baked potato, or as the base for a shrimp or crawfish dish.
Advance Preparation
- •The gravy can be made up to three days ahead and refrigerated in an airtight container. The tasso will soften but the flavor deepens beautifully.
- •To reheat, warm gently over low heat, whisking in a splash of cream to restore the silky texture. Do not boil or the cream may break.
Frequently Asked Questions
Nutrition Information
1 serving (about 150g)
Calories
350 calories
Total Fat
33 g
Saturated Fat
19 g
Trans Fat
0 g
Unsaturated Fat
14 g
Cholesterol
120 mg
Sodium
580 mg
Total Carbohydrates
7 g
Dietary Fiber
0 g
Sugars
1 g
Protein
8 g
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