Heat the oven to 200C / 180C fan and line a large tray.

Roast, do not boil. Toss the carrots, pumpkin, tomatoes, onion and the halved garlic bulb with the olive oil, smoked paprika, thyme, salt and pepper. Spread them in one layer with space between the pieces - crowded vegetables steam instead of browning, and the browning is the entire flavour of this soup.

Roast for 35-45 minutes, until the edges are deeply browned and the tomatoes have collapsed. Carrot chunks often need the longer end. Pale vegetables give a soup that tastes flat and oversweet, and no amount of seasoning afterwards puts the depth back.

Squeeze the garlic out of its skins and discard the thyme stalks.

Blend with 700ml of the stock until completely smooth, then add more stock a splash at a time until it falls thickly from the ladle. It should coat a spoon, not run off it.

Season properly. Roasted vegetables take more salt than you expect, and this is where the soup either comes alive or stays flat. A squeeze of lemon or a splash of vinegar lifts it if it tastes heavy.

Butter the outsides. This makes two sandwiches, halved to serve four. Butter one side of each slice right to the edges, and put the cheddar and mozzarella between the unbuttered sides. The mozzarella is there for the pull, the cheddar for the taste.

Cook low and slow. Fry in a dry pan over a medium-low heat for 3-4 minutes a side, pressing gently. High heat burns the bread long before the middle melts.

Rest it 30 seconds, then cut. Cut it straight from the pan and the cheese runs out and leaves the sandwich hollow.

Ladle into warm bowls, swirl through the cream, then scatter the herbs, chilli flakes and plenty of black pepper.

Sit the grilled cheese against the rim and serve at once, while the cheese is still stretching.