Walnut Soup

Method

1. Bring a small pan of water to the boil, drop in 50 g of walnut halves and blanch for 2 minutes. Drain, tip onto a tea towel and rub firmly to loosen the bitter papery skins; pick out and discard as much skin as comes away easily. This is what keeps the soup pale and sweet rather than tannic.
2. Put 30 g of torn stale bread in a bowl, pour over 60 ml of whole milk and leave to soak for 10 minutes, until completely soft. Squeeze lightly, keeping the milk in the bowl.
3. In a mortar or a small blender, work the blanched walnuts with 1 peeled garlic clove and a pinch of salt to a coarse paste, then add the soaked bread with its milk and 1 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil. Blend or pound to a smooth, pourable cream the colour of clotted milk.