This is still not the color we desire. Remember, don’t answer the phone. Don’t answer the door. Don’t go to the bathroom. Stay right here with this roux. Now, what I’ve done in the past, I’ve made an amount four times as much as this. You can leave roux out because all of this is flour and fat, so it won’t go bad but I put it in the freezer and if I feel like making occasion item that needs the dark brown roux, just take it out of the freezer. Sit it on the counter a few hours before you need it. Put the amount you think you need in a pan like this just to warm it up because when you add warm roux to the stock, it works better than adding a cold roux to it. It just dissolves more easily.

I am sure you’re saying to yourself, “Wow! This is a time consuming item.” But this is most likely the most important part in cooking the gumbos, the etouffees. Once you’ve mastered this, the rest of it, well at least for me it’s relatively simple. Just remember to always have a good stock to go along with the dish, your fresh vegetables, the holy trinity; celery, peppers, onions and fresh garlic and not the jar garlic that’s readily available in the store. Please don’t ever use that.

We’re darkening a little bit more now. This is still not a dark roux. As you see, there are no spots of anything burning. The faster you cook this, the more chance you might have a little bit of burn spot. Some people say use a whip. I don’t like that idea. I like using the spoon like this. Scrape the bottom easier through the sides and nothing gets hangs up in the whip especially if the roux is a little thicker. This is just easy to handle.

As you see, the roux is becoming thinner again but I am not going to add any more flour. I want to just cook and it’s hot. It’s smoking just a little bit, so don’t be impatient and raise the flame. Just take it easy. You won’t be doing this that often.

As you see, it’s darkening even more now. The reason why it has to be a dark roux—some people make it stop at this point, I am sorry. I like my gumbo to have a nice, rich, dark color and the only way it’s going to get that color is from the roux.

At this point, it’s very, very hot and it will darken even faster now. So, it’s crucial that you stir and scrape the sides. I think it was in the next minute or two, this one is done. I am sure you can see the smoke coming off; very, very hot. I can smell the nuttiness.