Preheat and Prep: Preheat your oven to 200°C (180°C fan). Line a baking tray with parchment paper. Prick the sweet potatoes all over with a fork – this allows steam to escape and prevents them from bursting.

First Bake: Rub the potatoes with the olive oil and sprinkle generously with sea salt. Place them on the prepared baking tray and bake for 50-60 minutes, or until the skin is wrinkly and a sharp knife slides into the centre with no resistance.

Cool and Slice: Remove the potatoes from the oven and let them rest on the tray for 10-15 minutes. This is a crucial step as they will be too hot to handle otherwise, and the skins will be more likely to tear. Once cool enough to touch, carefully slice each potato in half lengthways.

Scoop the Flesh: Using a spoon, gently scoop out the soft flesh from each half, leaving a sturdy 5mm border of potato attached to the skin. This border creates a stable 'boat' for our filling. Place the scooped-out flesh into a medium bowl.

Create the Creamy Filling: Add the softened butter, sour cream, 150g of the grated cheddar, smoked paprika, garlic powder, and black pepper to the bowl with the sweet potato flesh. Mash everything together until it's well combined and creamy. I find that using a potato ricer here gives the absolute fluffiest texture, but a sturdy fork works well too.

Add the Herbs: Gently stir the finely chopped chives into the potato mixture. Have a little taste and adjust the seasoning if you feel it needs more salt or pepper.

Refill the Potato Skins: Carefully spoon the creamy filling back into the hollowed-out potato skins, mounding it up slightly.

Second Bake: Reduce the oven temperature to 180°C (160°C fan). Arrange the filled potato halves back on the baking tray. Sprinkle the remaining 50g of cheddar cheese over the tops.

Bake Until Golden: Bake for another 15-20 minutes, or until the filling is heated through and the cheese on top is melted, bubbling, and just beginning to turn golden brown at the edges.

Garnish and Serve: Remove from the oven and let them cool for a minute or two. Garnish with a final sprinkle of fresh chives and serve immediately while they're warm and the cheese is gooey.