Lamb Tagine With Honey - cooking recipe

Ingredients

3 lbs lamb shoulder or 3 lbs lamb necks, trimmed of fat and cut into 2 1/2 inch cubes
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1 tablespoon ras el hanout spice mix
1/4 teaspoon saffron
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup unsalted butter
2 medium onions, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 cinnamon sticks
6 cups chicken stock
2 cups dried apricots, roughly chopped or 2 cups raisins
1 1/2 cups almonds, whole and blanched
3/4 cup honey (preferably dark)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup carrot, peeled,cut in 1/2 inch thick slices
1/2 cup flat leaf parsley, chopped.

Preparation

In a bowl combine the ginger, pepper, ras el hanout, saffron and water and mix well.
Add the meat and rub in the paste, coating evenly.
Cover and refrigerate overnight.
In a Dutch oven or other heavy, lidded pot, melt the butter over medium heat.
Add the onions, garlic, and cinnamon sticks and cook until the onions are translucent and the mixture is fragrant.
Add the marinated meat to the pot and then the chicken stock to cover the meat.
Bring the stock to a boil, and skim off any scum that appears.
Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer, stirring from time to time.
Add water if the pot becomes too dry.
Stew until the meat is tender, about 1 1/2 hours.
Add the apricots, almonds, honey, carrots, and ground cinnamon and simmer, covered, stirring often to prevent scorching, until the meat is very soft and almost falling part, about 30 minutes longer.
(If it is too soupy, uncover and simmer to reduce the sauce to a syrupy glaze.) Stir in the chopped parsley and transfer to a warmed serving dish.
Serve immediately with couscous, rice or potatoes.