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Sprinkle flour into the pot and stir a few minutes to make a light roux.

Doesn’t matter if it’s caramel, some sort of roux or queso, I’m always hunched over a hot pot stirring my wrist off, testing and adding until it tastes perfect.

West African gumbo tends to be made with way, way more okra and, instead of relying on a roux or mirepoix to impart flavor, it contains dried fish powder, shrimp powder and “heavy-duty spices.”

There’s a flip side to that weighted gesture of acceptance, however, when an underling of Algerian descent adds spices to a roux that Marie calls “bland,” earning a reprimand.

Rather boringly brown in presentation, the gumbo gets velvety from a luxe roux, echoing smoke, faint heat and stages of flavor, with all the tastes and texture of the sausage incorporated through.