That being said, here's how I make stock. It starts with roasted chicken. I start with the chicken thighs and season them with salt and pepper on both sides. Place them on a sheet pan and roast in a 325 degree oven. This usually takes about half an hour to 45 min. depending on the size of the thighs that you use. When the smell delicious and look golden brown and have reached an internal temperature of 165 (salmonella ruins a party) take them out of the oven until they are cool enough to touch them. Give them some time. Trust me, I've been burned alot. I'm not patient. Learn from me.
Pull the skin from the thighs. Toss them into a pot. Take a bite of the crispy skill if you need to. I don't judge (yes, I do). Pull the cooked chicken from the bones leaving all the gunky parts behind which go immediately into the pot with skin you didn't scarf down. The chicken meat will go into the gumbo so you haven't wasted it. Your pan will have grease, burned bits and other bits. Don't throw that out! It is gold! Scrape that stuff up using boiling hot water and a spatula, then pour it into the pot with the bones. It usually takes me two tries to get it all all into the pot with the bones. If you are making broth cover this bones and bits with water. If you are making stock, add celery, carrot and onion. They can be fresh or dried. I used dried because I think it gives a deeper flavor and easy to keep around. I also like to add a small shallot and whatever onionskin find laying around in my onion drawer (it has other stuff in it....) The onion peel adds a deeper richer color and we eat in part with our eyes. Look it up. Finally add about 10 peppercorns and enough water to the pot to cover the whole mess and bring to a simmer. Don't let it boil. If you boil the bones your stock will be cloudy. It's will be perfectly edible, just not pretty. Let that simmer for a good two hours (overnight). When it's good and rich strain your stock a colander lined with cheese cloth if you have it, or coffee filters. Heck, I use old pillowcases I'm about to throw out for this purpose (clean pillow court cases! Not just pulled off the bed. At some point they just get dingy and nasty looking - this extends their life). You can freeze whatever leftover stock you have so you don't have to do this every time you cook.
Now you have your excellent broth for your gumbo.
Next, we prep all the vegetables. Most French cuisine starts with a base of chopped onions celery and carrots. It is called a mirepoix. Creole and Cajun cuisine is different. They call their veggie base "The Trinity" you substitute a bell pepper for the carrot. Our gumbo will include okra. Buy it. You can even find it sliced and frozen. Don't be a baby. Yes, it can be slimy if you don't cook it correctly. You are going to do it the right way. You'll like it.
