The best bowl in Toronto: Split pea soup

Serves 6 · 4 hr 30 min

A clear, fragrant beef broth simmered for hours with charred onion, ginger and warm spices, poured over rice noodles and paper-thin raw beef. Inspired by the beef noodle soup at Le Colonial in Houston.

You need

• 2 lb (900 g) beef oxtail, cut in sections
• 2 lb (900 g) beef marrow or knuckle bones
• 2 medium yellow onions (about 1 lb), halved and left unpeeled
• 4-inch piece fresh ginger (about 3 oz), halved lengthwise
• 3 whole star anise
• 1 cinnamon stick (3 inches)
• 4 whole cloves
• 1 teaspoon coriander seeds
• 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
• 5 quarts (4.7 liters) cold water, plus more for parboiling
• 3 tablespoons fish sauce, plus more to taste
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 lb (450 g) dried flat rice noodles (banh pho)
• 8 oz (225 g) beef tenderloin, trimmed and sliced paper thin
• 1 small white onion, very thinly sliced
• 2 scallions, thinly sliced
• 2 cups bean sprouts
• 1 cup Thai basil leaves
• 1/2 cup cilantro sprigs
• 1 jalapeno, thinly sliced
• 3 limes, cut into wedges
• Hoisin sauce and sriracha for the table (3 tablespoons each)

How to make it

1. Put the oxtail and bones in the stockpot, cover with cold water by 2 inches, and bring to a boil over high heat. Boil hard for 10 minutes while gray scum rises, then drain and rinse every piece under cold water. Scrub out the pot.
2. Heat the broiler with a rack 4 inches from the element. Broil the onion halves and ginger on the baking sheet for 10 minutes, turning once, until blackened in spots and soft. Cool, peel off the loose skin, and rinse.
3. Toast the star anise, cinnamon, cloves, coriander and fennel in the dry skillet over medium heat for 2 minutes, until fragrant. Tie them into cheesecloth.
4. Return the bones to the clean pot with the 5 quarts cold water, charred onion, ginger and the spice bundle. Bring to a boil over high heat, about 20 minutes, skimming off foam.
5. Reduce the heat to low so the surface barely trembles. Simmer partly covered for 3 hours, skimming now and then, and lift out the spice bundle after the first hour so it does not turn bitter.
6. Lift the oxtail onto a plate. When cool enough to handle, pull the meat off the bones in large pieces and set aside, returning the bones to the pot.
7. Strain the broth through the fine-mesh strainer into a clean pot, pressing lightly. Skim fat from the top with a ladle, then stir in the fish sauce, salt and sugar and taste, adding fish sauce until savory with a slight sweetness. Keep at a bare simmer.
8. About 40 minutes before serving, wrap the beef tenderloin and freeze it for 20 minutes to firm it up. Soak the dried noodles in warm tap water for 30 minutes, until pliable and white.
9. Slice the chilled beef against the grain as thin as paper. Arrange the sliced onion, scallions, sprouts, basil, cilantro, jalapeno and lime wedges on a platter.
10. Boil a large pot of water and cook the soaked noodles for 1 to 2 minutes, until tender but still springy. Drain and divide among 6 large bowls, then lay the shredded oxtail and raw beef slices on top.
11. Bring the broth to a rolling boil, then ladle at least 1 1/2 cups over each bowl; the heat cooks the raw beef to a blush pink within a minute. Serve with the garnish platter, hoisin and sriracha.

Pans and tools

• 12-quart stockpot
• rimmed baking sheet
• dry skillet
• fine-mesh strainer
• cheesecloth or tea ball for spices
• large pot for noodles
• sharp slicing knife
• instant-read thermometer

Chef's tips

• Common mistake: boiling the broth hard, which turns it cloudy. Keep it at a bare simmer and skim.
• Make-ahead: the broth keeps 5 days refrigerated or 3 months frozen. The fat that hardens on top is easy to lift off.
• Reheat the broth to a full boil before serving or the raw beef will not cook.
• Swap: use beef shank or short rib for part of the oxtail, and gluten-free tamari-free hoisin is optional at the table.

Contains: fish, soy, wheat.

From The Best 100: our home version, inspired by Le Colonial, Houston. Saved, it opens in Chef Amazing with a timeline, mise en place and what you already have.

Serves 4 · 5 hr, plus overnight for the eggs · Hard

A home-scale version of a Hokkaido-style pork shio. The broth simmers hard so the bones turn it milky; the seasoning is just salt, kombu and a little dashi, so the broth has to be good. Make the eggs and chashu the day before.

You need

• For the broth: 3 lb (1.4 kg) pork neck bones or trotters, 2 lb (900 g) chicken backs or wings, 4 quarts (3.8 l) water, 1 onion, 2-inch piece ginger, 6 garlic cloves, 3 scallions
• For the chashu: 1 1/2 lb (700 g) pork belly, skin off, rolled and tied; 1/2 cup soy sauce, 1/2 cup mirin, 1/4 cup sake, 2 tbsp sugar, 1 cup water
• For the eggs: 4 eggs, plus 1/4 cup of the chashu liquid and 1/4 cup water
• For the shio tare: 1 piece kombu (4 inches), 1 cup water, 2 tbsp sake, 1 tbsp mirin, 2 1/2 tbsp sea salt, 1 tsp dashi powder or a handful of bonito flakes
• For the aroma oil: 1/4 cup pork or chicken fat (skimmed from the broth), 2 scallions, 1 garlic clove
• 4 portions (about 1 lb / 450 g) fresh thin wavy ramen noodles
• To top: menma (bamboo shoots), sliced scallion, 4 umeboshi (pickled plums), nori sheets

How to make it

1. Broth: blanch the pork bones and chicken in boiling water 10 minutes, drain and rinse off the scum. Return to a clean pot with 4 quarts fresh water. Boil hard, uncovered, 4 hours, topping up with water to keep the bones covered, until the broth is milky. Add the onion, ginger, garlic and scallions for the last hour. Strain; you want about 2 quarts.
2. Chashu (the day before): brown the rolled pork belly on all sides in a pot, add the soy, mirin, sake, sugar and water, cover and simmer on low 2 hours, turning every 30 minutes. Cool in the liquid and refrigerate.
3. Eggs (the day before): boil the eggs 6 1/2 minutes, chill in ice water and peel. Soak overnight in the chashu liquid mixed with water.
4. Tare: soak the kombu in the water 30 minutes, then bring just to a simmer and remove the kombu. Add the sake, mirin, salt and dashi, stir until the salt dissolves, and strain.
5. Aroma oil: warm the fat with the scallions and garlic over low heat 10 minutes until fragrant. Strain.
6. To serve, slice the chashu and warm it in a little broth. Bring the broth to a simmer. Put 3 tbsp tare and 1 tbsp aroma oil in each warm bowl.
7. Boil the noodles in a big pot of unsalted water for the time on the packet (usually 60-90 seconds), shake dry, and put in the bowls. Pour 1 1/2 cups hot broth over each. Top with chashu, a halved egg, menma, scallions, an umeboshi and nori.

Pans and tools

• 12-quart stockpot
• medium pot for the chashu
• fine sieve
• large pot for the noodles
• kitchen twine

Chef's tips

• Taste one bowl first: if it's flat, add tare a teaspoon at a time.
• The broth freezes well in 1 1/2-cup portions for ramen night.
• Warm the bowls with hot water; ramen cools fast.

Contains: gluten, egg, soy, fish.

Our recipe, the same one we give for shio ramen in Vancouver. Saved, it opens in Chef Amazing with a timeline, mise en place and what you already have.

Serves 4 · 1 hr 15 min

A quick homemade paste of dried chilies, shallots, garlic, ginger and turmeric makes the broth taste like the north. Fry half the noodles crisp for the top.

You need

• For the paste: 6 dried guajillo or large Thai dried chilies, seeded and soaked 15 minutes in hot water
• 4 shallots, 5 garlic cloves and a 1-inch (2.5 cm) piece each of ginger and fresh turmeric (or 1 tsp ground)
• 2 tsp ground coriander, 1 tsp curry powder, 1/2 tsp ground cardamom
• 1 tsp shrimp paste (optional)
• 2 cans (13.5 oz / 400 ml each) coconut milk, not shaken
• 6 bone-in chicken drumsticks or thighs (about 2 lb / 900 g)
• 2 cups (480 ml) chicken stock
• 2 1/2 tbsp fish sauce, 1 tbsp palm or brown sugar, 1 tbsp light soy sauce
• 14 oz (400 g) fresh flat egg noodles
• 2 cups (480 ml) neutral oil, for frying a handful of noodles
• To serve: pickled mustard greens (chopped), sliced shallots, lime wedges, chili oil, cilantro

How to make it

1. Make the paste: blend the drained chilies, shallots, garlic, ginger, turmeric, coriander, curry powder, cardamom and shrimp paste with 2 tbsp of soaking water to a smooth paste.
2. Spoon the thick cream from the top of one can of coconut milk into a large pot. Cook over medium heat, stirring, until it bubbles and the oil starts to separate, 5 minutes.
3. Add the paste and fry, stirring constantly, 4 to 5 minutes until dark, fragrant and oily.
4. Add the chicken and turn to coat in the paste, 2 minutes. Add the rest of the coconut milk, the stock, fish sauce, sugar and soy. Bring to a simmer and cook gently, partly covered, 35 to 40 minutes, until the chicken is tender at the bone.
5. While it simmers, heat the frying oil in a small pot to 350F (175C). Fry one loose handful of the noodles (about 2 oz / 55 g), separated into strands, for 1 minute until golden and crisp. Drain on paper towels and salt lightly.
6. Cook the remaining noodles in boiling water for 1 to 2 minutes until just tender, drain and rinse briefly.
7. Taste the broth: it should be rich, a little sweet and salty. Adjust with fish sauce or sugar.
8. Divide the boiled noodles among deep bowls, add a piece of chicken to each and ladle over plenty of broth. Pile the crispy noodles on top. Serve with pickled greens, shallots, lime and chili oil so everyone seasons their own.

Pans and tools

• Blender or mortar and pestle
• Large heavy pot
• Small pot and thermometer for frying
• Large pot for the noodles

Chef's tips

• Squeeze in lime at the table: it brightens the rich curry dramatically.
• Pickled mustard greens (pak gad dong) come in cans or packs at Asian markets.
• The broth is even better the next day; cook the noodles fresh.

Contains: wheat, egg, fish, shellfish (shrimp paste), soy.

Our recipe, the same one we give for khao soi in Chiang Mai. Saved, it opens in Chef Amazing with a timeline, mise en place and what you already have.

Serves 4 · 2 hr 30 min · Medium

Pork neck bones give a rich broth and meat you pull off with chopsticks. Ground perilla seeds give the nutty body.

You need

• 3 lb (1.4 kg) pork neck bones
• 1 onion, 6 garlic cloves, 1 in (2.5 cm) ginger
• 2 tbsp doenjang (soybean paste)
• 3 tbsp gochugaru, 1 tbsp gochujang
• 2 tbsp soy sauce, 2 tbsp fish sauce, 1 tbsp mirin
• 3 tbsp ground perilla seeds (deulkkae garu)
• 4 medium potatoes, peeled and halved
• 1/2 head napa cabbage or blanched outer cabbage leaves
• 1 bunch perilla leaves
• 3 green onions
• Rice, to serve

How to make it

1. Soak the bones in cold water 1 hour, then boil them 8 minutes and rinse well.
2. Cover the bones with 3 quarts (2.8 l) fresh water, add the onion, half the garlic, the ginger and the doenjang, and simmer 1 1/2 hours.
3. Mince the rest of the garlic and mix with the gochugaru, gochujang, soy, fish sauce and mirin.
4. Remove the onion and ginger. Add the seasoning paste, perilla powder, potatoes and cabbage and simmer 30 minutes, until the potatoes are tender.
5. Add the perilla leaves and green onion and serve bubbling, with rice.

Chef's tips

• The first boil and rinse is what keeps the broth clean.

Contains: soy, wheat, fish..

Chef Amazing's own recipe, written for a home kitchen. Saved, it opens in Chef Amazing with a timeline, mise en place and what you already have.