1 (3 to 5 lb.) stewing chicken, cut into portion-sized pieces
1 c. diced lean ham
2 tbsp. butter
1/2 c. diced onion
1/4 c. chopped parsley
1/8 tsp. thyme
8 c. boiling water
1 c. sliced okra (available in the frozen food section of your supermarket)
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 qt. stewing oysters with their liquid
1 c. raw shelled deveined shrimp, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 c. hot cooked fluffy rice

Place the chicken, ham and butter in a large soup kettle and saute until the chicken is golden brown. Be sure to place any fat sides of the chicken pieces on the hot surface of the pan to render down the fat, which will aid the browning.

If the chicken is lean and without any fat, use additional butter for browning. Add the onion, parsley and thyme, and continue to saute until the onion becomes transparent. Add the boiling water, okra, bay leaf, salt and pepper and bring to a rolling boil. Skim off any froth that appears. Turn heat down to simmer and cook for 55 minutes, or until the chicken can be pierced with a fork.

Add the oysters, their liquid and the shrimp. Cook for 10 minutes longer, or until the shrimp turns pink and the oyster edges curl. Place 1/2 cup cooked rice in each soup bowl and cover with the gumbo, making sure that each bowl has a portion of chicken, oysters and shrimp.