re: Settle this argument for me. Brown the Trinity before putting in a gumbo or not?

Doesn't settle your argument, but I have gone with either way... Just dumping in uncooked trinity to the boiling broth before adding the cooled roux, or hitting the roux with the trinity to stop the cooking. I don't think it makes a huge difference in the final taste, but I always have a little more plain roux to add later if I put raw trinity in the broth, because it waters down the gumbo when it cooks.