Chicken Sausage Okra Gumbo

3 to 4 lb chicken cut up

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 lb sliced okra

1/2 cup flour

1 gallon water

1/2 to 1 lb smoked sausage

1 lb chicken gizzards cut up

2 med. onion chopped

1/4 bell pepper chopped

1 whole bulb garlic chopped

2 tb chopped parsley

1 tb sugar

16 oz. can tomato paste

3 large tomatoes or a 16 oz can of whole tomatoes

2 bay leaves

1 pinch thyme

1 tb gumbo file'

salt and pepper to taste

Brown chicken pieces in some of the oil; remove from pot. Brown okra and remove from pot. Add remainder of oil and flour, stirring constantly until roux is a rich brown. Add okra and water to roux, blending well. Add chicken, sausage, gizzards, and remaining ingredients except file'. Salt and pepper top taste. Cook for 1 & 1/2 to 2 hours. Stir in file' during the last 1/2 hour of cooking.

Serve with hot cooked rice in soup bowls.