Gulf Coast Seafood Gumbo

Prepare shrimp by removing the outer shell and any internal vein. Place the peeled shrimp in a container, cover it, and store it in the refrigerator until required.

Next, place the shrimp heads and shells into a large cooking vessel.

Pour 2 quarts of water into the pot, cover it, and heat over a medium-low flame until the liquid has reduced by half. Remove the shrimp heads and shells, discard them, and reserve the resulting broth.

Heat oil in a very large cooking pot over medium-high heat. Add flour and cook, stirring constantly with a long-handled spoon until the mixture turns dark brown and puffs up, taking about 10 to 15 minutes. Gradually stir in chicken broth and 1 cup of water. Add the chicken to the pot, along with tomatoes, onions, celery, bell pepper, garlic, seafood seasoning, salt, cayenne pepper, and bay leaves. Bring the mixture to a boil and cook until the chicken is no longer pink at the bone and the juices run clear, taking around 1 1/2 hours. Use a thermometer to check if the chicken has reached an internal temperature of 165 degrees F (74 degrees C).

Once the chicken has cooled enough to handle, remove it from the pot and set it aside. Remove the bones and chop the meat into 1-inch pieces.

Return the chopped chicken to the pot, along with the reserved shrimp broth, crabmeat, sausage, shrimp, and filé powder. Stir everything together from the bottom of the pot to combine. Bring the mixture to a boil, then immediately remove it from the heat.

Stir the gumbo thoroughly for 1 minute. Remove the bay leaves and serve.