Potage épicé de potiron avec la sauge, les graines rôties et le Pancetta

8 cups fresh pumpkin
2 tablespoons coriander seeds
1/4 tsp chilli powder
5 thin slices pancetta or Canadian bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
handful fresh sage
handful of chives
11 ounces toasted almond slices
1 onion, finely chopped
2 12oz cans chicken stock
1.5 cups fat free cream
1 cinnamon stick
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground ginger
salt & pepper to taste
Extra-virgin olive oil

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Cut cap off top of pumpkin, remove the seeds (reserving these for later - toasted for garnish), then using large spoon, scrape interior rind of pumpkin. Using your pestle and mortar, bash up the coriander with the chili powder, nice and fine, and sprinkle with and ground ginger, nutmeg over the squash. Drizzle with a little olive oil and roast in preheated oven until nice and soft (about 30 minutes).

Heat a little oil in a large pan and fry the pancetta (or Canadian bacon) with half the sage leaves. Add the almonds and the onion and fry gently for about 15 minutes. By this time the pumpkin will be ready. Spoon the pumpkin out into the pan. Cover with the stock and cream, add cinnamon stick and bring to a boil. Reduce to simmer for 15 minutes. Remove half the mixture and blend until smooth, then pour back into the pan.

Take the rest of the sage leaves, chives and the reserved pumpkin seeds and saute them in a little oil until crisp. To serve soup, sprinkle with a little of the crisp sage and seeds, and finish with a good drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil. Enjoy!