Chilled Pear Soup
Source: Splendid Soups, James Peterson
Ingredients
9 sweet ripe pears
1 quart light chicken broth
1 medium-sized onion, chopped
2 tbsp unsalted butter
1 tbsp curry powder, preferably Garam Masala
1 cup heavy cream
salt
cayenne pepper
1/2 cup heavy cream, beaten until barely stiff
Directions
Rinse the pears slice them in half lengthwise and remove the cores with a spoon or melon baller. There is no need to peel the pears since the peels will be strained anyway. Slice each pear in half into several pieces. Put the sliced pears in a mixing bowl with the chicken broth (The broth covers the pears and prevents them from turning brown.
In a 4 quart pot over medium heat, cook the chopped onion in butter until it softens and turns translucent, about 10 minutes. Stir in the curry powder and cook for about 2 minutes until the smell starts to fill the room
Pour in the pears and all the remaining chicken broth. Simmer the soup for about 15 minutes, until the pears are soft. If the pears are under ripe, you may need to simmer them longer.
Strain the soup through a food mill with the finest disk or puree the pears in a food processor or blender and strain through a medium-mesh strainer.
Chill the soup and 1 cup heavy cream (See note.) Season the soup to taste with salt and cayenne pepper. Decorate each bowl with a swirl of lightly beaten cream.
Note: If you plan to store the soup overnight, bring the cream to a simmer before adding it to the soup. This sterilizes it and prevents it from souring. The cream can also be added the next day shortly before serving.
(This soups also works with apples. You can add chopped cilantro to this soup just before chilling to accentuate the flavor of the curry.)
(Another variation is with watercress: Prepare the soup as normal, but leave out curry. Take the leaves and small stems off of 2 bunches watercress and boil for 1 minute in a pot of boiling salted water. Strain, rinse with cold water, and combine with a cup of the soup in a blender. Blend at high speed for 1 minute. Strain though a medium mesh strainer into remaining soup.)
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