Emeril's Country Gumbo

Ingredients

1 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 medium onions, chopped
3 celery ribs, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 tablespoon garlic, finely chopped
4 quarts shrimp, crab or chicken stock
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
Pinch of cayenne
Dash of hot sauce
Salt and fresh ground black pepper
2 or 3 gumbo crabs, cracked
2 bay leaves
2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
3 links andouille sausage, sliced in 1/4-inch thick rounds, browned and drained on paper towels
1 pound peeled and deveined shrimp
1 pound cooked chicken, shredded in pieces
6 green onions, chopped
1/2 cup coarsely chopped parsley
File powder, for serving, optional (available in specialty food stores)

Make a dark roux: Heat oil in a large soup pot over high heat. When oil begins to smoke, whisk in flour. Continue to whisk constantly until mixture is a rich brown color. Be careful not to produce specs of black. Roux must remain an even color throughout process. If specks appear you must start over. When roux is mahogany colored, add onions, celery and bell pepper.
Stir mixture until the vegetables are softened. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Slowly whisk in the stock along with the Worcestershire, hot sauce, and cayenne. Season lightly with salt and pepper and bring the liquid to a boil. Add the gumbo crabs, bay leaves and thyme and simmer until the flavors begin to come together, about 45 minutes.
Add the sausage and continue to cook until the gumbo reaches the desired thickness and is rich and flavorful, about 1 hour longer.
Stir in the shrimp, chicken, green onions, and parsley. Taste and adjust seasonings, if necessary. Cook until the shrimp are cooked through and the onions and parsley have softened, 15 to 20 minutes longer.

Serve over hot white rice and allow guests to add filé powder to their bowls if desired.