Gumbo is so synonymous with Louisiana, it’s the name of the local NFL mascot. With the rise of celebrity New Orleans chefs like Emeril Lagasse in the 1990s, gumbo went mainstream and swept the nation. Lagasse himself says there’s nothing like it to reflect the broad range of regional Louisiana cuisine. “All gumbos are different, and each family has their own recipe.” Chefs squabble over cooking techniques and permissible ingredients: Some insist that the sausage be none other than andouille, while others allow kielbasa; some get fancy with goose and foie gras, while others—such as chef Frank Brigtsen, the author of this recipe—suggest rabbit as a possible protein but have a New Orleans nonchalance about going without. What Louisiana’s myriad, varied gumbos have in common, according to Brigtsen, is “the use of a roux.” Get that rich, brown, flavorful foundation right, and knockout gumbo will follow.