CHICKEN & SAUSAGE FILE GUMBO

Chicken & Sausage File Gumbo image

My brother, who is a fabulous cook, gave me this recipe over 20 years ago, and it's still one of my favorites.

Provided by Elisa72

Categories Gumbo

Time 2h15m

Yield 8 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 15

Ingredients

1 (4 lb) frying chickens
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup flour
1 1/4 lbs kielbasa or 1 1/4 lbs smoked sausage, sliced about 1/2 inch thick
1/2 lb baked ham, cut in 1/2 inch cubes
2 cups onions, chopped
1/2 cup bell pepper, chopped
2 tablespoons finely minced garlic
3 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1/8 teaspoon cayenne
1 1/4 teaspoons dried thyme
3 bay leaves
3 tablespoons file powder

Steps:

Put the chicken in a pot and add enough water just to cover. Boil just until done.
Remove the chicken from the pot, reserving the liquid. When the chicken cools enough to handle, remove the skin, take the meat off the bones and cut into bite sized pieces. Set aside.
Melt the butter and oil in a large pot over medium high heat, then add the flour. Cook, stirring constantly, until it is a medium brown, lowering the heat to avoid burning, if necessary.
Add the sausage, ham, onions, bell pepper, and garlic. Cook over low heat for 10 minutes.
Add about 2 cups of the reserved chicken broth, the chicken, and all seasonings except the file powder. Stir in the rest of the reserved chicken broth.
Bring to a boil, then simmer for one hour, uncovered.
Remove from the heat, stir in the file powder, then let stand for 5 minutes.
Serve over steamed rice.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 911.5, Fat 67.9, SaturatedFat 21.5, Cholesterol 247.5, Sodium 2155.2, Carbohydrate 13.2, Fiber 1.3, Sugar 3.1, Protein 58.9