Louisianians are very particular about their gumbo.  There are only two types, seafood (made with crab, shrimp, oysters, etc.), or chicken (or turkey) and andouille.  As far as vegetables go, only onion, celery, and bell pepper (sometimes referred to as the Creole "holy trinity") and some garlic are allowed.  Corn does NOT go in gumbo, and on that point, there can be no debate!

Roux is simply flour browned in oil, and it's a thickening agent that you add to the stock, vegetables, and meat to complete your gumbo.  Most people think a roux must be cooked slowly on the stovetop, a process that can take forty-five minutes or longer, adding the flour to the oil a little at a time, requiring constant attention and lots of stirring.  With this method, there's a very real risk of burning the roux, and anybody will tell you that if you burn the roux, you have to throw it out and start all over again.

I learned this method a couple of years ago from a participant on the Facebook group called " Cooking and Coping: Gathering Around the Virtual Table " that was created by Carol Palmer and Malcolm White during the COVID pandemic of 2020.  At the time, I had never made gumbo from scratch, and frankly, I thought it was above my culinary skill level, but I decided to give it a try!  I'm glad I did, and so are my friends.  In fact, one of my South Louisiana friends says this makes the best gumbo she's ever had.

Here's how you do it:

1.  Set your oven to 350 degrees.

2. Add equal parts flour and oil to a cast iron skillet.  I use a cup of each, and I use canola oil or vegetable oil.

3.  Stir until mixed well.

4.  Place skillet in oven and set timer for two hours.  Do not open the oven.  Do not stir.  Do not do anything until two hours has passed.  You can even leave the house while this cooks and it will be fine.

If you like a darker roux, you may extend the cooking time. 

That's all there is to it.  NOTE:  Allow to cool before stirring into your other ingredients, as hot oil does not mix well with stock!  A friend who tried this last month learned that the hard way. 

Please share this recipe, and let me know how it turns out in the comments below if you try it.