Sweet potato soup

1 onion
1 red pepper
1 pack of pancetta
dab of butter
2-3 sweet potatoes, depending how big they are
scant teaspoon of sweet smoked paprika
shake of cinnamon
garlic paste
boiling water
2 chicken stock cubes

Put the pancetta into the (metal) pan and let the fat render. While that's happening, chop the onion and red pepper.

When the pancetta is crispy and the fat's in the pan, take out the pancetta with a slotted spoon and put to one side. Add the butter, onion and red pepper to the pan and sweat off.

While that's happening, peel the sweet potatoes and slice into 1-cm thick slices. Then chop them up into 2-cm-ish cubes. Add a good squirt of garlic to the pan, stir it in and add the sweet potatoes. Put the lid on and leave to sweat while you boil the kettle and have a smoke.

Add the cinnamon and smoked paprika and stir in well, then crumble the stock cubes over the sweet potatoes. Finally, add enough boiling water from the kettle that it's JUST covered, turn the heat to medium-low, and stick the lid on. Wander off and make some tea or something; leave it for about 15-20 minutes.

Remove pan from heat and take off the lid so it cools a bit. Don apron/goggles/rain poncho/wellies and blend thoroughly with the hand blender. Stick the pancetta cubes back in and stir well before eating with enthusiastic faise.