Houma chicken file gumbo

6 servings

Ingredients

Quantity Ingredient
1 Chicken cut into serving pieces
Salt and ground pepper
½ cup Vegetable oil
2 larges Onions, chopped (2 cups)
1 Green bell pepper, chopped (1 cup)
1 quart Water
1½ teaspoon File powder
Louisiana hot pepper sauce to taste (optional)

Directions

Rinse chicken and pat dry. Season with salt and pepper and reserve.

Heat oil in a large heavy pot or dutch oven over medium heat. Add onions and bell pepper. Cook, stirring for 10 to 12 minutes, until well browned. Pour off all but about 1 tablespoon of oil from pan and add chicken pieces. Brown chicken well on both sides, 12 to 15 minutes. If pan juices begin to stick and burn, add a few drops of water and stir and scrape with a spatula to loosen them. When chicken is browned, add remaining water. Simmer over medium-low heat for 20 to 30 minutes, until chicken is tender and cooked through.

Stir in file powder, remove from heat and cover for 5 minutes. Season with salt, pepper and hot sauce if desired. Serve gumbo with rice.

From "Spirit of The Harvest: North American Indian Cooking," by Beverly Cox and Martin Jacobs.

Submitted By HILDE MOTT On 01-25-95

Related recipes