*  Exported from  MasterCook  *

                  Fried Chicken and Andouille File Gumbo

Recipe By     : 
Serving Size  : 6    Preparation Time :0:00
Categories    : Soups                            Chicken
                Meats

  Amount  Measure       Ingredient -- Preparation Method
--------  ------------  --------------------------------
     1/2                To 2/3 c vegetable oil
   4 1/2  pounds        Chicken; cut up -- room temp
     1/2  cup           Flour
     3/4  pound         Spicy andouille or chorizo -- 1/2" slice
     1/4  pound         Tasso or plain cooked ham -- dice
   1      large         Onion -- chop
   1      large         Green pepper; seed -- chop
   3                    Stalks of celery -- dice
   7      medium        Scallions -- slice
   3                    Cloves garlic -- mince
     2/3  cup           Parsley -- chop
   1 1/2                To 2 qt water
   2      teaspoons     Dried thyme
   2      large         Bay leaves
   1 1/2                To 2 qt water
                        Salt and Black pepper
                        Cayenne or Tabasco sauce
   2                    To 2 1/2 tb file powder
   2      cups          Cooked white rice

Heat 1/2 cup oil in a heavy 5-quart pot or Dutch oven and in it brown chicken on all 
sides over moderate heat, turning so pieces brown evenly. Remove chicken and set aside. 
Make a roux by blending flour and oil in the same pot and stirring constantly over
 moderate heat until roux is a deep coffee brown, adding a little more oil if mixture is dry.
 Add sausage slices, diced ham, onions, green pepper and celery.
 Saute, stirring for about 10 minutes. Add chicken pieces, scallions, garlic,
 parsley, thyme, bay leaves and the water to cover, stirring to incorporate
 the roux into the liquid. Add salt and black pepper and simmer soup, partially covered, 
for about one hour, or until chicken is tender. Remove chicken, trim off skin
 and bones and return chicken in large pieces to the soup.
If you are using the very spicy rind of the tasso ham, you will probably
 not need cayenne or Tabasco.
Otherwise, add either toward the end of cooking and adjust other seasonings. 
This soup can be prepared in advance up to this point and stored, covered
, in the refrigerator for 2 days. Bring soup to a simmer.
 Five minutes before serving, remove from heat and stir in file powder.
 Cover and let stand for about 5 minutes, but do not simmer or the file
 will make the soup too thick. Ladle into wide soup plates with a mound
 of rice and pieces of chicken. 

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