Directions

• Cut the chicken into eight pieces with the skin on.  Cut the breast meat from the bones and chop into 2-inch pieces.  Lay the chicken on a plate or sheet pan and season evenly on all sides with salt and pepper.  Dust with flour and shake off excess.
• Heat 1 1/4 cups of the oil in a large cast-iron skillet to 350°F over medium-high heat (a pinch of flour should sizzle in the oil when it’s ready).  Fry the chicken in batches so as not to overcrowd the pan, about 3 minutes on each side, until light golden (the chicken doesn’t need to cook all the way through; it just needs to color).  Transfer the chicken to a plate lined with paper towels.
• Add the flour to the oil and stir gently with a whisk, preferably one with a long handle.  Leave the heat on medium-high for the first 10 minutes.  As the roux starts to darken, lower the heat in increments.  When the roux reaches a light brown color, reduce the heat to low and continue cooking until it takes on a smooth dark brown color, about 40 minutes total.
• Carefully and slowly stir the onion, celery, peppers, garlic, salt, black pepper, cayenne, chili powder, white pepper, paprika, and file powder into the roux and stir with a wooden spoon.  (Don’t use the whisk because the roux will be very thick at this point).  Be careful when adding the vegetables to the roux because it will create a burst of steam.  Allow the roux to cool briefly.
• Transfer the roux to a large soup pot.  Heat the roux over medium-high heat, stir in the chicken broth, and bring to a boil.  Whisk the stock frequently as it comes to a boil because roux can stick to the bottom of the pot.  Reduce heat to low and simmer for about 30 minutes.  Every now and then skim off the oil that rises to the surface, a good bit will float to the top as the soup cooks.
• Add the chicken and continue to simmer, stirring occasionally, for 45 minutes.  Add the sausage and simmer very slowly for about 1 more hour, skimming all the while, until the chicken falls away from the bones.  Taste the stock.  If it still has a very strong roux flavor, add a few more cups of stock or water.
• Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the okra and sauce, stirring or flipping the okra in the skillet, for about 8 minutes until it’s lightly browned and the gooey slime has cooked out.  Add okra to the gumbo and simmer an additional 15 minutes.
• The gumbo is finished when there is no more oil rising to the top.  As with all soups and stews, gumbo is always better the second day, so you’ll be happy to have plenty of leftovers.