Recipe courtesy of BB's Jazz, Blues and Soups
File Gumbo
- Level: Intermediate
- Yield: 10 to 12 servings.
- Total: 2 hr 45 min
- Prep: 45 min
- Cook: 2 hr
Ingredients
4 (3-pound) chickens, cut into small chunks
Vegetable oil
1 cup all purposes flour
1 cup butter
2 red, green, and yellow bell peppers, chopped
1 large yellow onion, chopped
1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic
3 tablespoons chopped parsley leaves
5 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons black pepper
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
5 bay leaves
2 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme
3 1/2 quarts water
2 links andouille sausage, cut into 1/4-inch half circles
3/4 pound ham, cut into 1/4-inch chunks
1 pound small shrimp, cleaned and deveined
1/2 pound okra
5 tablespoons file powder
Directions
- Heat some vegetable oil in a large stockpot over medium-high heat and cook the chicken in batches until it is golden brown. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside. Add the flour to the chicken juices and stir continuously. Add the butter and cook the roux until it is brown.
- Add the peppers, onion, garlic, parsley, salt, pepper, cayenne, bay leaves, thyme, and 1 quart of water. Stir well and bring to a boil. When the vegetables are soft, put the chicken back into the pot and add the remaining water. In a skillet over medium heat, cook the sausage and ham until they are browned. Add them to the pot along with the shrimp and stir well. Let the gumbo simmer for 1 hour, then add the okra. After 20 minutes, turn off the heat. Ladle a couple of cups of the liquid into a mixing bowl. Add the file powder and whisk until well blended. Pour back into the stock pot and mix well. It's ready to serve!