1. Prepare your work area before you start cooking. Remove all the clutter from your counter tops or work surfaces. Be sure that all the tools you will need for the session are ready to go. This will save time and frustration in the long run. Nothing worse than needing something in a hurry and can't find it.

2. In the preparation of any recipe it is more efficient to prepare and measure all ingredients before you start to cook. In the long run using this procedure will save time and reduce the possibility of error. This is especially true in a long complicated recipe like this issues Chicken Gumbo. The procedure also lends itself to doing a lot of the work in advance. In some cases even the day before.