Chicken Gumbo - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1 broiler fryer
1/4 lb. ham or smoked sausage
2 Tbsp. butter
1 lb. tomatoes (canned or frozen)
1 1/2 qt. water
1 lb. okra, sliced (optional)
1 c. sliced onions
3/4 c. chopped green pepper
1 Tbsp. minced parsley
1 Tbsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1 small bay leaf
1 Tbsp. gumbo file (optional)
4 c. hot cooked rice

Preparation

Boil chicken.
Debone.
Dice ham or thinly sliced sausage. Cook sausage or ham in melted butter until light brown.
Add tomatoes, water, okra, onions, green pepper, parsley, salt, pepper and bay leaf.
Bring to boil; reduce heat.
Cover and simmer 30 to 40 minutes.
Return chicken to soup.
Discard bay leaf.
Just before serving, sprinkle gumbo file powder lightly over soup, stirring constantly.
Heap hot rice in individual soup bowl. Ladle gumbo over rice.
Makes about 3 quarts.