Chicken Gumbo

(Rick Jason's Chicken Gumbo Recipe)

When we have friends over for an informal evening, this Chicken Gumbo dish hits the spot every time. Serves four.

4-quart heavy pot with lid
Rice cooker or 2-quart pot with lid
liquid defatter (optional)
8- to 10-inch chef’s knife.

4 lbs. chicken pieces
1 clove garlic 1 C coursley chopped onion
Water to cover chicken (4-5 C.)
3 T. bacon fat
1 bay Leaf
12 shucked oysters
1 t. cayenne pepper
salt black pepper
2 C. coarsely chopped tomato
1 coarsely chopped green pepper
1 quart okra cut half-inch thick
1 T. parsley, chopped
1 T. gumbo file powder
hot cooked rice

To prepare the Chicken Gumbo: Cover chicken with water, add garlic clove, 2 t. salt, and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, until fork tender. Frying chicken will take about twenty minutes, an old hen up to three hours. Remove chicken and allow to cool until comfortable to handle. Remove meat from bones and set aside. Strain and defat broth and set aside. If not using a defatter place broth in refrigerator until fat has solidified (at least three hours). Then remove fat and save for cooking; it will keep indefinitely in a jar in the refrigerator.

Melt fat in pot, add onion and pepper and cook slowly 5 minutes. Raise heat to high and add tomatoes and okra (thawed frozen is okay), parsley, bay leaf, and cayenne. Add broth and bring to boil. Cover and simmer 1 hour. Add chicken and oysters and cook several minutes. Add filé powder and correct seasoning with salt, pepper and cayenne. Serve in soup bowls over a mound of rice in each bowl.

Next: Rick's Fried Chicken Recipe