-Shuck 4 ears of corn.

-Cut the kernels off of each ear, by holding the ear from the top and carefully running a knife down the ear. Set the corn kernels aside.

-Make a quick stock by putting the empty corncobs and 2 cups of water in a pan together and bringing it to a gentle boil for 30 minutes or so.

-Chop the following into small pieces:

-1 fennel bulb

-1 medium sized onion

-Cut 6 slices of bacon into small pieces or put 4 TBS butter in a saucepan over medium heat and cook until sizzling.

-Add the chopped fennel and cook for about 7 minutes.

-Chop up 3 cloves of garlic and stir into the fennel and let cook another 3 minutes.

-Sprinkle in ¼ cup of flour and stir constantly with a wooden spoon until the mixture starts to turn a little golden, about 7 minutes.

-Add the following:

-4 cups whole milk

-The reserved stock you made.

-Stir constantly until the soup thickens, about 3-5 minutes.

-Then stir in ½ tsp sea salt and bring the soup back to a boil.

-At this point you can also add about ½ cup of grated cheese; white cheddar or Parmesan would be nice.

-Cook stirring occasionally until the corn is tender and the soup is fully thickened, about 10 minutes.

-Melt 1 TBS butter in a small skillet until it foams and begins to brown a little.

-Stir in 1 tsp of Spanish smoked paprika and turn off the heat.

-Ladle the soup into bowls and ad a few drops of the red butter to each.