Slow-cooked lamb, with apricots, ginger and cinnamon

I love lamb, so really wanted to give this recipe a go. I've never been to Morocco, but I'm guessing that this dish is Moroccan or North African inspired. I used my slow cooker rather than the oven, and it worked a treat. After all - the recipe does day 'slow cooked'!!

Slow cooked lamb with apricots, ginger and cinnamon
Serves 4 (very generous portions)

1 kg lamb, cut into chunks
1 tbsp flour
4 tbsp olive oil
2cm ginger, grated
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 red chilli, seeds removed
3 spring onions
2 tbsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp cinnamon
600 ml chicken stock
16 vine cherry tomatoes
4 sprigs thyme
12 dried apricots
6 pitted prunes, cut in half
50g raisins
4 tbsp fresh coriander, chopped
25g flaked almonds

• Preheat oven to 160C (if not using slow cooker)
• Roll the lamb chunks in the flour. Heat 2 tbsp of the oil in a pan, and brown the lamb on all sides. Remove to a plate with a slotted spoon.
• Add the ginger, garlic, chilli and spring onions to the pan and cook for a couple of minutes. Add the spices, and return the lamb to the pan. Stir in the stock. Then transfer to an oven proof dish (or slow cooker) and cook for an hour in the oven. (Note, I allowed longer cooking time for the slow cooker).
• Add the cherry tomatoes, apricots, prunes and raisins, and half of the chopped coriander, and cook for another half hour.
• Serve with couscous, and sprinkle with toasted flaked almonds and remainder of chopped coriander.

It is suggested that it is served with couscous - so to change the habit of a lifetime, I followed the recipe! And it was lovely. MacMan and I both had seconds, and he even took some more in his packed lunch (he's on night shift at the moment. Yuk.) Twirly Boy finished his portion with little argument. Just the Pricess of Power wasn't a fan, professing she didn't like it. As she never actually tasted it, I'm not quite sure how she managed to determine this fact! But 3 out of 4 ain't bad, and it's nice to have a casserole with a different slant.