Big Fat Hen Gumbo Recipe

Directions:

1. The day before, cook a whole hen in water with a carrot, a stalk of celery, a medium onion cut into fourths. Add six or eight pepper corns and boil untill the hen is tender. Strain and reserve the stock in the refrigerator; cover and refrigerate the hen.
2. Next day remove the fat from the surface of the stock and reserve; leaving a small amout with the stock for the flavor. Remove the skin from the hen. Separate the meat from the bones and sinew and cut into chunks; disgard the skin, bones and sinew.
3. Place the chicken stock in a large stock pot. In a skillet, brown the sliced sausage slightly in the oil and add to stock.
4. Add the garlic and bring to a boil.
5. Reduce heat to a steady simmer.
6. Prepare a roux* on the dark side and add the chopped onion, bell pepper, celery, okra and seasonings to it. You may use some of the pure reserved chicken fat as part of the oil to make roux.
7. Stir until the roux and vegetables form a mass. Drop by
8. Spoonfuls into the boiling stock. Mix and simmer for twenty minutes until the vegetables are cooked.
9. Cut up and add the chicken meat in bite sized pieces; simmer for about 10 minutes. The oil may be removed from the surface at this point.
10. File may be added to the gumbo or to the gumbo in the bowls. Sever with a large dollop of white long grained rice in the center of the gumbo and hot sliced French bread on the side.
11. *Note: Paul Prudhomme called roux kitchen napalm and he was right. Prepare this part very carefully.