Note, for efficiency, start the dry roux first. You can compete the mise en place for the rest of the ingredients and start the gumbo recipe while the dry roux is baking. You can also bake the roux days ahead of time, storing in an airtight container, and mix in the stock when it is time to use the roux.

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees. (Most dry roux recipes call for lower temperatures, but I find that the higher temperature cooks faster, with little risk of burning)

Put the flour in an oven-safe pot. I used to use a skillet so the flour spread out further, but now I use a 3 quart sauce pan which allows me to aggressively stir the flour without spilling.

Bake the flour, stirring occasionally, until it becomes uniformly the color of ground cinnamon. Expect at least 40 minutes, up to an hour. Be careful with the pan handle when you move the pan between the oven and stove top. It’s 500 degrees! As flour approaches desired state, you will notice an aroma reminiscent of burnt popcorn. Stir more frequently as the process continues. When you stir, break up the clumps of dry flour that form. Smooshing them with the back of a wooden spatula works well for me.

Once the flour is baked, whisk in 2 cups of broth, a few ounces at a time. Be careful of the hot handle on the pan! The roux should come together as a thick, chocolate brown batter. Be sure to whisk entirely. You don’t want any lumps of flour stirred into your gumbo.

Start by browning the sausage in the olive oil, separating it into small pieces as it cooks. Brown is flavor. The rendered fat from the sausage will permeate the entire dish!

Next, add the diced onions (or the Creole holy trinity if you go that route) and the diced stems directly to the pot with the sausage and rendered fat. Add ½ tsp of salt to help draw the water out of the aromatics. You should find that there is enough oil and fat to make the aromatic mixture glisten. If it doesn’t glisten, add a bit more oil. Stir frequently, until the aromatic mixture has softened, 5 or 10 minutes.

Stir in the garlic, thyme, paprika, bay leaves, red pepper flakes and a bit of freshly ground black pepper (about 1/4 teaspoon). Allow this mixture to cook for a minute or two.

Add 2 cups of broth to the pot and stir to incorporate. Then add the pulled pork, and use two wooden spatulas or large forks to separate the pork into shreds.

Add the remaining 4 cups of broth to the pot. Turn the heat to high and bring to a boil. Add the greens to the pot in batches. Each batch should quickly wilt, making room for the next batch.

Slowly whisk the roux into the gumbo, a bit at a time. Make sure every bit gets fully incorporated. You can taste for seasoning at this point. The flavor of the roux at this point will not be pleasant. But over the next 30 minutes it will mellow and incorporate with all the other flavors in the gumbo.

Fish out the bay leaves. Plate with rice and garnish with something green – scallions, parsley, oregano are all nice options…