Gumbo File - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1 fowl
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
dash of cayenne
1/4 c. fat
2 Tbsp. flour
1 onion, chopped
1 tomato, sliced
2 qt. hot water
1/2 tsp. thyme
1/2 c. chopped celery
2 doz. oysters
2 Tbsp. chopped parsley
2 Tbsp. file powder
boiled rice

Preparation

Remove bones from chicken; cut meat in small pieces (add water to bones and simmer).
Brown chicken in fat with salt and pepper. Remove chicken and put in flour.
Stir until brown and smooth.
Add onion and saute until yellow.
Add tomato.
Put in chicken stock, thyme, cayenne and celery.
Simmer 2 hours.
Add oysters and parsley and cook until edges of oysters curl.
Remove from fire and stir in file.
Serve with large spoonful of hot, fluffy rice in each soup bowl.