Red-Eye Gravy

Ingredients

• Drippings and browned bits from 1 lb fried country ham
• 3/4 cup strong brewed black coffee
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 tsp packed dark brown sugar (optional)
• 1/4 tsp coarsely ground black pepper

Before you cook

• Fry your country ham first and move the slices to a platter, leaving the drippings and every browned scrap in the skillet.
• Brew the coffee strong and have it hot.

Steps

1. Set the skillet with the ham drippings over medium-high heat and let it get hot enough that the fat shimmers, about 30 seconds.
2. Pour in the coffee all at once and stand back, because it will hiss and steam hard.
3. Scrape the bottom of the pan with a flat wooden spatula until every browned bit lifts loose into the liquid.
4. Pour in the water and add the brown sugar if you want to soften the bitterness.
5. Boil hard for 3 to 4 minutes, until the gravy has reduced by about a third and the fat has drawn itself into shimmering red-brown eyes on the surface.
6. Stir in the black pepper.
7. Taste it; the ham should have supplied all the salt it needs.
8. Pour the gravy, unthickened and thin as broth, straight over the ham, grits or biscuits and serve at once.