1 6-lb. hen
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup flour.
1 large onion. chopped
1 red bell pepper. chopped
2 cloves garlic. chopped
3 sprigs chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 Tbs. salt
1 tsp. black pepper
1/4 tsp. Tabasco
2 bay leaves
1/4 tsp. dried thyme
1 lb. Andouille or smoked sausage
2 green onions. chopped
2-3 cups cooked rice
File powder

Directions:

1. Cut up the chicken and fry the pieces in 2 Tbs. of the oil in a large kettle or Dutch oven over fairly high heat. Keep turning the chicken pieces until they brown on the outside; they should not cook through.
2. Remove the chicken and reserve. Add the flour and the rest of the oil to the pot and make as dark a roux as you can. The critical instruction about making a roux is to avoid burning it. This is accomplished by constant stirring and watching the heat.
3. Add the onion. bell pepper. and garlic. Saute them in the roux over medium heat until the onions begin to brown.
4. Return the chicken to the pot. along with a gallon of water. parsley. salt. pepper. Tabasco. bay leaves. and thyme. Bring to a low boil.
5. Slice the andouille into one-inch-thick discs and add to the pot. Skim excess fat thrown off by the sausage as it rises.
6. Cook the gumbo for at least one hour (to as much as two hours). Stir every now and then.
7. When ready to serve. remove the chicken and strip the meat off. Slice into bite-size pieces and return the to pot. Add the green onions and simmer for another three or four minutes.
8. Serve over cooked long-grain rice with a pinch or two of file powder at the table.

By Chef Bailey Lauret
Gourmet Guys Youth Chef