Sweet potato in piloncillo syrup (Camote enmielado)

1. Wash the sweet potatoes and cut them, skin on, into 4-5 cm chunks or thick rounds (you can peel them if you prefer).

2. Peel 2-3 strips of zest from the orange with a vegetable peeler and squeeze the juice.

3. In a wide, heavy-based pan, bring the water to the boil with the chopped piloncillo, cinnamon sticks, orange zest and juice until the piloncillo dissolves. If you have no piloncillo, dark cane sugar stands in.

4. Add the sweet potato in a single layer, cover and cook over low heat for 20-25 minutes, turning carefully now and then, until easily pierced with a fork.

5. Uncover and cook for another 10-15 minutes, spooning the syrup over, until it's thick, glossy and honey-like and coats the pieces.

6. Serve warm or cold, drizzled with the syrup; in Mexico it's often served with a splash of cold milk.

Tip: Don't stir hard – by the end the sweet potato is very soft and falls apart easily; shake the pan instead.