In a country that considers bacon such a culinary pillar, it still seems that we Americans don’t really know how to cook it, more often than not serving it soft and soggy or burnt to a blackened char. So naturally, we let Aussie-born, Texas-based chef (and bona fide meat master) Jess Pryles teach us how it’s done.

Being from Louisiana and now based in Mississippi, James Beard Award-winning chef John Currence knows his catfish, with his first taste of the stuff coming from a deep fryer outside of New Orleans. But when it comes to frying fish in a cast-iron pan, he’s learned over the years, it all boils down to one thing.

Roux is the bane of our cooking abilities. It falls into the “feel” category over an exact adherence to instruction. Art over science. Read a thousand recipes, and you’ll get a thousand directions. Luckily, Louisiana-born, Virginia-based chef David Guas lets us in on the secret to this soup and sauce starter.

Dough is not that difficult — Make it a day ahead and let it rest in the fridge overnight. Makes it much easier to work with.