Best 4 File Chicken Gumbo Recipes

GUMBO - SHRIMP, TASSO HAM, ANDOUILLE SAUSAGE, CHICKEN, FILE'

Steps:

• Separately, chop / prepare all ingredients necessary as defined above and set aside.
• Heat a large heavy pot (cast iron / enameled cast iron) on medium high until pre-heated. Add some oil and saute each meat separately and in batches to brown nicely. (A pain, but worth it, I promise). Start with Andouille, then Tasso, and chicken. Some of the meat will stick and that is perfect. It imparts a rich flavor that is important to your gumbo. After browning, set aside.
• ROUX: This is a critical step that requires constant tending. The goal is to cook this flour until it is somewhere between brown and black without burning it.Go for the color of a Hershey's kiss or darker. It is required to make the gumbo you want to make and well worth it. This takes me 45 minutes to an hour to get the right color. Each time I make gumbo I try to get it darker and darker. Don't be afraid to turn the heat up and down even if it take you longer. Better to take longer than to burn it. If you have black flecks, you have burned it and must start over. (You can do it perfectly though!).
• Add 2 cups oil and 2 cups flour to the.
• Pour the 2 cups oil and 2 cups flour into your pot. Stir slowly, consistently until it is brown / black. (It will happen. Just keep going.).
• When the roux has reached the desired color, add the chopped celery, onion and peppers and stir constantly for 8-10 minutes. Be careful not to burn. Cast irons hold heat well, so feel free to lower your temperature and just cook longer).
• Add chicken stock one ladle / cup at a time, stirring in between each addition to keep temperature and to make sure your roux doesn't break).
• Add all meats and drippings (except shrimp) and reduce to simmering uncovered for three hours stirring delicately and occasionally. Add shrimp and cook for 15 minutes more.
• Taste a little to adjust seasonings to your preference and then refrigerate in pot for three - four days.
• Reheat when ready to serve. Serve over rice topped with fresh parsley. Allow each diner to sprinkle their own file' for thickening and flavor.

FILE CHICKEN GUMBO

Steps:

• To make chicken stock, place all ingredients into 8-quart stockpot. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes, skimming impurities off the top. Remove chicken pieces. Allow chicken to cool, remove meat from bones, and then return bones to stock. Reserve chicken meat for the gumbo. Continue to simmer stock for additional 2 1/2 hours.
• To make gumbo, begin by heating oil in a large pot (preferably an enameled cast iron or other heavy-bottomed pot) and cooking garlic, onions, peppers, and celery until soft and translucent. Add sausage, tomatoes, tomato paste, and stock. Bring to boil, reduce to simmer and add okra and reserved cooked chicken meat. Season with hot pepper sauce, cayenne, salt, pepper, and file. Simmer for 1 hour until flavors meld together. Stir in chopped parsley. Serve over hot rice and garnish with julienned scallions.

FRIED CHICKEN AND ANDOUILLE-FILE GUMBO

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a heavy 5-quart pot over medium heat. Add the chicken and brown on all sides. Remove chicken and set aside.
• Make a roux by blending the flour into the oil in the pot and stirring constantly with a long-handled spoon until the mixture is a deep coffee brown. Add the sausage, ham, onion, green pepper and celery. Saute, stirring, for about 10 minutes. Add the browned chicken, scallions, garlic, parsley, thyme, bay leaves and enough water to cover, stirring to incorporate the roux into the liquid.
• Stir in salt and pepper and simmer the soup slowly, partly covered, until the chicken is tender, about 1 hour. If you are using the very spicy rind of tasso ham, you will probably not need cayenne or Tabasco. Otherwise, add either toward the end of cooking.
• Take out the chicken and set aside just until cool enough to handle. Pull off the skin and bones and return the chicken to the soup in large pieces. Adjust seasoning if needed. The soup can be prepared in advance up to this point and stored, covered, in the refrigerator for 2 days. Skim fat from soup.
• Bring the soup to a simmer. Five minutes before serving, remove from heat and stir in the file powder. Cover and let stand for about 5 minutes. Do not boil the soup after the file has been added. Mound rice in soup plates and ladle the gumbo over.

CHICKEN, SAUSAGE, OYSTER AND FILE GUMBO

Steps:

• On medium heat warm cooking oil, then add flour. Stir constantly until roux turns medium/dark brown. Add onion and saute until onions are translucent. Add the chicken, livers, green onion and parsley. Mix well. Stirring constantly cook over medium/high heat until a gravy is made from chicken and chicken is slightly browned. Turn heat down to sliimer/low and add enough boiling water to just cover. Cover pot and cook until chicken is almost done. Add the smoked sausage, Andouille sausage and salami. Add the remaining boiling water and chicken stock/broth and cook 2 - 3 hours covered, stirring occasionaly. Add the oysters and reserved liquid and cook for 10 minutes or until edges of oysters curl. Turn off heat. Skim most of the fat from gumbo, if desired. Remove the bones and chicken skin. Add the file and stir. Serve with cooked rice on side for individuals to pepare thier own bowl. Have salt, pepper and hot sauce on tables for each individual to season their own gumbo.