The resulting soup has a velvety texture and a hauntingly deep, dark character. For a Mardi Gras party, this is not only a crowd-pleaser, it’s a make-ahead godsend: Gumbo gets better with age, and this one can be made up to five days ahead. All the intermediate steps can also be done in advance—the roux, the confit and, if you’re going for extra credit, making duck stock from the bones, fat and skin. (But if that’s not for you, never fear; packaged chicken stock is just a grocery store away.)

So how to achieve this stew’s depth and complexity? “The most important aspect is the dark roux and that nutty flavor,” Franz says. If you’re a roux newbie, it’s a skill worth having in your toolbox for thickening soups and sauces. First, flour is whisked into an equal amount of fat. “It should glaze the full pan and lay out evenly,” Franz counsels. From there, the science and visual cues will be familiar to anyone who’s made caramel sauce: Relatively low heat gently toasts the flour granules, darkening the mixture slowly and evenly. But unlike caramel, roux must be stirred constantly to avoid burning.

The finished roux should be dark amber, which will take some time. A classic trick is to place a penny on the stove next to your pan as a reference for the target color. “You can kind of go cross-eyed staring and stirring the thing,” says WineSpectator.com assistant managing editor and native Louisianan Robert Taylor. “When the roux is the same color as the penny, it’s done.” Inexact? Maybe. But somehow it still helps: “It’s one of those Southern mom things.”

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