Sweet corn soup

Serves 4

Not much here besides corn, shallots, butter, and basil simmered in water with the corn cobs, then pureed.

6	tablespoons unsalted butter
4	shallots, chopped
	Salt and pepper, to taste
4	cups water
1	long stem fresh basil, plus a handful of extra leaves
5	ears sweet corn, kernels removed from the cobs (save cobs)
3	scallions (white part only) finely chopped

1. In a soup pot, melt the butter. Add the shallots, salt, and pepper. Cover and cook over low heat for 30 minutes or until the shallots are very soft and jammy, but not browned.

2. Add the water, stem of basil, and corn cobs to the pot. Bring to a boil over medium heat.

3. Add the corn kernels and simmer for 5 minutes.

4. Using tongs, remove the cobs and stem of basil from the pot. Add the handful of basil leaves and submerge them in the soup without cooking them.

5. Puree the soup in a blender until it is a coarse puree. Return to the pot, taste for seasoning, add more salt and pepper, if you like. Ladle into bowls and sprinkle with scallions. Jonathan Levitt