Chop onion and pepper, open cans and measure flour and water - basically mise en place, get your stuff ready.

Place ingredients from vital wheat gluten to the paprika into a bowl, and combine 3/8 cup or water with dash of hot sauce and vinegar

Mix dry ingredients together and then add water mixture

Stir this and then knead until it cleans the side of the bowl and becomes a rubbery dough

Put vegetable oil into cast iron pot and place on high. (This recipe will fill a 2 quart cast iron pot.)

Turn heat to high, allow oil to heat up, and add flour. Brown flour, reducing heat as it darkens, until desired color is reached. This is a roux, play with it - the color will change the flavor, I like mine fairly dark for gumbo.

Just getting started

A little better

There we go.

Knead dough again

Add onion, pepper, and celery

Sauté this until onion is translucent and roux is picked up by it all. (You can make this in larger batches and freeze for some quick and easy gumbo another day.)

Add okra, tomatoes and water.

Bring to a boil and allow roux to thicken the liquid.

Cut dough in half and roll to make thinner

Slice in half lengthwise and then into small pieces, add to boiling stew

Add crab boil, filé, and hot sauce, reduce heat to extremely low, cover and allow to simmer until you absolutely cannot take it any longer and are about to eat the spoon rest.

Remove lid and reduce if you like it thicker. Enjoy!