GUMBO FILET’

GUMBO FILET’


1 pint oysters
1-stewing chicken cut up
2 teaspoons salt
1-1/2 teaspoons monosodium glutamate
1 small onion
3 sprigs, parsley
2 3-inch pieces of celery with leaves
1 bay leaf
2-3 peppercorns
1 cup diced cooked ham
1 cup chopped onion
½ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons chicken fat
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/8 teaspoon cayenne
2 tablespoons file powder


Drain oysters, reserving liquid. Refrigerate until needed. In a large saucepan, simmer chicken with salt and monosodium glutamate, onion, parsley, celery, bay leaf and peppercorns for 2 to 3 hours, or chicken is done. Remove chicken from broth. Drain broth and cool slightly. Remove skin and bones from cooled chicken. Dice chicken meat and set aside. Saute’ onion and ham in chicken fat until onion is translucent. Add chicken broth, oyster liquid, diced chicken, pepper and cayenne. Simmer for 1 hour. About 10 minutes before serving add oysters. Cook until the edges of oysters begin to curl. Remove from heat. Add ½ cup of the liquid with file powder. Add mixture to soup, stirring thoroughly.

File powder should always be added after the soup has been removed from the heart. If cooked, the gumbo will become stringy and unpalatable.


Yield: 6 to 8 servings.