Chicken Sausage File Gumbo

My brother, who is a fabulous cook, gave me this recipe over 20 years ago, and it's still one of my favorites.

Put the chicken in a pot and add enough water just to cover.

Boil just until done.

Remove the chicken from the pot , reserving the liquid.

When the chicken cools enough to handle , remove the skin , take the meat off the bones and cut into bite sized pieces.

Set aside.

Melt the butter and oil in a large pot over medium high heat , then add the flour.

Cook , stirring constantly , until it is a medium brown , lowering the heat to avoid burning , if necessary.

Add the sausage , ham , onions , bell pepper , and garlic.

Cook over low heat for 10 minutes.

Add about 2 cups of the reserved chicken broth , the chicken , and all seasonings except the file powder.

Stir in the rest of the reserved chicken broth.

Bring to a boil , then simmer for one hour , uncovered.

Remove from the heat , stir in the file powder , then let stand for 5 minutes.

Serve over steamed rice.

frying chickens, olive oil, butter, flour, kielbasa, ham, onions, bell pepper, garlic, salt, pepper, cayenne, dried thyme, bay leaves, file powder