The Mardi Gras Basics:
Roux
Stock
Remoulade Sauce

THE ROUX:
Ingredients
1-1/4 cups flour 
1 cup oil or butter if you like it rich
Instructions
 for the roux
Blend thoroughly in a thick skillet and cook over medium-high to high heat, STIRRING CONSTANTLY. BE VERY CAREFUL NOT TO BURN IT!! If you see black specks in the roux, you've screwed it up. Dump it out and start over. Keep cooking and stirring until the roux gets darker and darker. It's best to use a very heavy pot or skillet for roux-making, especially cast iron. With a good cast iron Dutch oven or skillet, you can get a beautiful dark roux in only about 20 minutes.
New Orleans people tend to like a blond or peanut butter colored roux, so feel free to make it that way.

THE STOCK:
Ingredients
8 quarts cold water 
8-10 pounds chicken parts (backs, necks, etc.) and bones, or a whole chicken, cut up and oven-browned 
Shrimp shells and heads, reserved from the 4 pounds of shrimp that have been peeled for the final step of the gumbo (the heads are very important!) 
8 ounces onions, chopped 
4 ounces celery with tops, chopped 
4 ounces carrots, chopped 
2 heads garlic, cut in half horizontally 
Sachet d'épices: In a small cheesecloth bag or tea ball, place: 
1 teaspoon or so black peppercorns, cracked 
A few parsley stems 
1 bay leaf 
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves 
1/2 teaspoon dried tarragon leaves 
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano leaves 
1/2 teaspoon dried bay leaves

Instructions:
mix ingredients  in 8 quart pot and boil for 30-40 minutes.  When done take out cheesecloth.

Remoulade Sauce:
Ingredients
crab meat
onion
red bell pepper
celery
mustard
mayonnaise
egg 
Instructions
Clean the crabmeat, removing all cartilage and shells. Sauté onion, red bell pepper, and celery until the onion is translucent. Add Worcestershire and hot sauce and herbs to vegetable mixture. Cool the vegetable mixture.