"The roux technique here is great for beginners. Watching this episode might make roux making look intimidating. If you think it is, they try baking roux a few times. You won't burn it, but you'll also never get it past peanut butter color. Don't be afraid to make it on the stove! I usually get it to red brick color in 15 minutes or so.

But what makes this recipe great is that it has a high roux to stock ratio. Alton does 4 oz of flour/oil to 1 quart of stock. That's a lot of roux, which makes this gumbo VERY rich. It is much more rich that what you'll get in a restaurant. Just be sure to get all that roux dissolved before serving.