1 ¼cups (5 oz)Toasted WalnutsExcess Skin Rubbed Off and Chopped
2cupsHeavy Cream
¼cupMilk
¼PodVanillaSplit
Pear Purée
1Large Pear
1 ½cupsPoaching Liquid
Poaching Liquid
1cupCrisp, Dry White WineSauvignon Blanc
1cupWater
⅓cupSugar
4tspFreshly Squeezed Lemon Juice
Garnish
Walnut Oil
Instructions
Poaching Liquid
Bring the wine to a boil in a saucepan, skim off any foam that has risen to the top, and then add the water and sugar.
Return the liquid to a boil and stir until the sugar has dissolved.
Remove the pan from the heat, stir in the lemon juice, and set aside.
Store in a covered container in the refrigerator, if needed.
Walnut Cream
Place the walnuts, cream, and milk in a saucepan and then scrape the seeds from the vanilla pod into the pan and then add the pod.
Bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat to keep the liquid just below a simmer for 35 to 45 minutes.
Strain the infused liquid into another saucepan and discard the walnuts and vanilla pod. Set aside. This will yield 1 ½ cups of walnut cream.
Pear Purée
Peel and core the pear, and cut it into 8 wedges.
Put the wedges in a saucepan with the poaching liquid, cover with a parchment lid (see notes), and bring to a simmer.
Cook for ~15 minutes or until the pear wedges are completely softened (i.e. there is no resistance when they are pierced with the tip of a sharp knife.
Transfer the pears and ⅓ cup of the poaching liquid to a blender but do not blend yet.
Assembly
Reheat the walnut cream.
Purée the pears and while the blender is running, pour the hot walnut cream into the blender to combine. (The cream must be hot when it is added to the purée or the soup may break). This will yield 2 cups of shoup.
Strain the soup through a fine-mesh sieve or strainer into a saucepan and reheat gently over low heat.
Serve warm in demitasse cups, sprinkled with a few drops of walnut oil.