Chicken Gumbo File - cooking recipe

Ingredients

4 lb. cut up chicken
1 1/2 inch ham steak, cooked
1/3 c. butter
1/3 c. flour
1 c. chopped onion
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1/4 tsp. red pepper
3 parsley sprigs
1 bay leaf
1 (1 lb.) can tomatoes
1 lb. raw, shelled shrimp
1/2 c. chopped green pepper
1 tsp. gumbo-file powder

Preparation

Rinse and prepare the chicken.
Cut the ham into 1/2-inch cubes.
In a 6-quart Dutch oven, saute the chicken in butter for approximately 20 minutes.
Remove the chicken.
Add the ham until brown (approximately 5 minutes).
Remove.
Stir flour into remaining fat in Dutch oven; cook over medium heat, stirring, until flour is browned.
Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring, until onion is tender.
Add salt, pepper, thyme, red pepper, parsley, bay leaf, tomatoes and 1 cup water; bring to boiling.
Add chicken and ham and simmer, covered, for 1 hour.
Next add shrimp and green pepper, simmer for 30 minutes.
Remove the ham, chicken and shrimp. Bring mixture in Dutch oven to a boil.
Stir in the file, cook until it thickens.
Pour sauce over chicken mixture.
Serve over white rice.
Makes 8 servings.