House Of Blues' File Chicken Gumbo

In a sauce pot, heat half of the oil to the smoking point, add half of the okra and saute until light brown and slimy looking.

Lower the heat to medium; add onions, celery, pepper, garlic and andouille; saute until the vegetables become translucent. Be careful not to burn. Add the diced tomatoes, Cajun seasoning and 1 tablespoon of the salt; mix well.

Crumble roux into chicken stock. Whisk until the roux is completely dissolved. Mix chicken-stock mixture with vegetables. Bring to a boil and let simmer 10 minutes. Stir frequently so the gumbo does not burn into the bottom of the pot.

In a saute pan, heat remaining oil to smoking point. Add chicken and remaining salt. Saute until the chicken is cooked through and slightly brown. Add the rest of the okra and cook until hot. Drain well and add to the gumbo with the file; mix well.

To serve, put 2 ounces of rice into a bowl and ladle 10 ounces of gumbo over rice. Garnish with the parsley.

For Brown Roux: In a heavy stockpot, heat vegetable oil to 150 degrees F. Slowly whisk in flour, mixing well.

Cook in a 375 degrees F oven for about 2 hours. Stir every 15 minutes. Roux is done when chocolate brown in color. You can freeze the roux in small portions and use as needed in recipes.