The roux
Equal parts flour and oil. Stir constantly over medium-low heat for 30–45 minutes until it reaches a deep chocolate color. Burn it once and you start over.
The trinity
Onion, celery, green bell pepper diced fine and added to the finished roux off the heat. Bayou cooks then return the pot to the heat and sauté until soft.
Stock and seasoning
Six cups shrimp or seafood stock added slowly while whisking. Add Tony Chachere's, paprika, dried thyme, and a couple of bay leaves. Simmer 90 minutes.
The seafood
Andouille goes in 30 minutes before service. Shrimp, crab claws, and oysters go in the final 5 minutes — overcooked seafood ruins the pot.