Boil vegetables in water til the vegetables settle to bottom (or done). Make a roux with 3/4 cups oil or bacon drippings, heat oil and stir in apprx 3/4 cup flour, stirring constantly til dark brown. Fry okra in a little oil til soft (dont brown). Stir okra into gumbo. Add Chicken, Season with file. Cook apprx 3 hours, add seasoning ever so often while cooking. After the 3-hours, add the shrimp and cook apprx another 30 minutes (check shrimp, if done quit cooking).

Serve over rice....feeds apprx 12-15

Caution....Do Not Sample Too Much, Or It Will Feed Only 3-4 lol)

This is authentic Cajun gumbo, simply a stew, every day fare for bayou people. A "dish to die for", for those not exposed to Cajun culture. Every New Orleans (Louisiana) chef takes great pride in their "Gumbo". If you don't have a recipe you like, this is a keeper. You may have to play with it to get the seasonings right to your taste (like the cayenne). I also put canned tomatoes in mine, and use a crab boil bag. Some use crab instead of chicken, but I like the chicken better. Some use cut up fish filets, but I prefer not to. The trick is the "roux", it must be stirred almost constandly on medium heat to keep from burning. It is suppose to be thick, not runny and cooked until dark brown (not black). When we make the gumbo , we make enough to freeze some in freezer bags for later. Work with this and you will be proud of the outcome, a great dish to serve friends.