the pragmatic chef™

This is a 1/2 cup of oil with 1 cup of flour, closer to the traditional French ratio for roux, which is equal parts by weight, not volume. This color is good, but you can go quite a bit darker if you like the more earthy taste, this should be about right for your first effort and for most palettes. Nice medium heat until you get the hang of it, keep it moving, and don't walk away!

1 lb of sausage, give it time to render and get a bit browned.

Veggie prep, or mis en place, if you're getting fancy. I like to use Styrofoam plates or aluminum pie plates, they can be washed and used until they wear out. It's important to have all the prep done before you start heating your oil, because this is how you cool the roux to keep it from burning. This version included 3 serranos too, just because the sausage I used wasn't as spicy as usual.

Veggies cooked down, ready for stock.

Home made chicken stock, made from the carcass of the bird I roasted the night before. Mmmmmm, I think it took 2 or 3 quarts total.

Let it cook down for 45 minutes, add the cooked chicken for 15 minutes, then season. Give it another 15 minutes, then add 1 lb. of shrimp just before serving.