Sweet Moroccan Lamb Tagine with Cinnamon Scented Cous-Cous

I absolutely love Moroccan food and though I have eaten it a fair few times I have never attempted making a Moroccan dish.  I decided not to look at traditional recipes for ideas of what ingredients to use and how to cook the lamb but rather go with the flavours I know so well from eating the food.  So this recipe is not traditional however it makes a delicious tagine that does have all the typical Moroccan flavours.

Sweet Moroccan Lamb Tagine with Cinnamon Scented Cous-Cous
Ingredients:
 - 850 g lamb shoulder (boned and fat trimmed, cut into cubes)
 - 2 onions, sliced
 - 2 garlic, peeled and crushed
 - 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
 - 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
 - 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
 - 1/2 teaspoon mint flakes
 - 1 teaspoon ground pepper
 - 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
 - 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
 - 1 orange
 - 2 tbsp almond meal
 - 1/2 cup chicken stock
 - handfull of dried apricots
 - 2 handfulls of dates
 - 3 tablespoons pistachio
 - 1 tablespoon pine nuts
 - 1 tablespoon honey
 - salt
 - 2 cinnamon sticks
 - 1 cup cous cous
 - 1 tsp cinnamon
 - 1 tablespoon oil
 - 10g of butter
 - sultanas



Method:
1.  Brown the lamb in small amounts on oil in a hot pot.  Remove the browned lamb.
2.  In a small bowl, mix the cinnamon, turmeric, ginger, mint, pepper, nutmeg and ground coriander.  Fry the onions and garlic in the pot on medium heat.  Add the spices and fry till the onions become translucent.
3.  Add the browned lamb to the pot and mix - ensuring the spices cover all of the meat.
4.  Add the chicken stock, fresh orange juice and enough water to just cover all of the meat.  Bring the heat down to very low and cover.
5.  Chop the dates and apricots into quarters and add to the pot along with the almond meal, honey, 1 cinnamon stick, pine nuts, pistachios and salt.  Simmer on low heat with the lid open for 1.5 - 2 hours, mixing every 15 minutes or so to ensure the bottom of the pot does not burn.  Taste for seasoning at the end and add salt and pepper if needed.
6.  To prepare the cous cous.  Boil 1 cup of water with cinnamon stick, sultanas, oil and salt.  Once the water has boiled, take off the heat and add the cous cous.  Close the lid and leave for 5 minutes.
7.  Using a fork fluff up the cous cous.  Add butter and a few tablespoons of boiling water.  Place over a medium flame and continue stirring with the fork for 3-4 minutes.
8.  Serve the lamb tagine on top of the cous cous and enjoy :)