So, today I answered Mom's Gumbo & pasta pseudo-challenge.
It actually came out pretty good, but there WAS a mistake on my part. I actually used too much roux. The thickness wasn't so much the issue, since I used a middling dark roux- between caramel and milk chocolate color- but rather, it's sheer amount diluted the flavor too much. Next time- and yes, there WILL be a next time- I'll use about half of the amount of roux I did this time.
Ingredients:
1 yellow onion, diced
4 stalks of celery, diced
1.5 ounces minced garlic
2 lg chicken thighs- a small packet of chicken wings could be substituted
1/2lb Louisiana hot sausage or equivalent, sliced (or chopped, for texture)
6oz country/smoked beef sausage, sliced
1/2lb peeled shrimp, cut to @3/4in size
2-4 Bay leaf (I used 2 large ones from an Indian grocery)
1/2cup fresh parsley. (Dried is also fine, and can help thicken the sauce)
Thyme to taste- 1Tbs minimum
Filé to taste- 1Tbs minimum
@2 cans chicken stock (I actually used 1 and some home-made stock made from smoked turkey necks)
1 low sodium chicken bouillon cube or powdered equivalent
Roux
1 box of penne pasta (cavatappi, rotini, macaroni, bow tie, or similar would also work)
Top if needed with Shredded Parmesan cheese
As is now my custom, I made my roux in a separate, non-stick pan on low heat for maximum control. (For those who don't know, roux is simply flour cooked in oil.)
In the meantime, the sausages & the chicken were each browned in a 12" high-sided sauté pan, as were the onion & celery, in their turn. I deglazed my pan as needed with stock.
The tricky part is that, in a traditional gumbo, the chicken will cook long enough that it will eventually fall off the bone. With so much less liquid, this dish cooks faster, so you'll have to cut your chicken into more manageable pieces to speed their cooking.
When all the meats were browned and veggies given a turn in the pot, I added all the ingredients back in, including the seasoning and the stock, letting the mix cook down a bit over low/medium heat. The last to go in was the shrimp, which only went into the pot a minute before the pasta. (Shrimp don't need much time to cook.
Also note that there is NO added salt or pepper in this. Usually, a gumbo will have both. But with there being SO much less liquid, the salt & pepper in the sausages was more than enough to season the sauce.
As the other ingredients came together, I set my pasta to cook. When it was done, I put the pasta into the sauté pan and folded it into the sauce. I served it when all the pasta was nicely coated.
I don't think the dish needs the cheese, but that was my Dad's idea. I have to admit that the Parmesan DID work well with the dish, but I'll be eating mine without in the future.
