- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion, thickly sliced
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 tsp ras-el-hanout
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground ginger
- ½ tsp smoked sweet paprika
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1kg/2lb 4oz sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks
- 1 x 400g/14oz can chopped tomatoes
- 2 tbsp honey
- ½ tsp saffron
- 200ml/7fl oz water
- 40g/1½oz preserved lemons, finely chopped
- 125g/4½oz dried apricots, halved
- 110g/4oz green olives, stones removed
- 40g/1½oz whole almonds
- 1 small bunch coriander
- 200g/7oz couscous
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 10g/½oz preserved lemons, rinsed, drained, pulp removed, flesh finely chopped
- ½ lemon, juice only
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh coriander leaves, to serve
- For the tagine, heat a large, deep frying pan with a lid until hot. Add the olive oil, onions and garlic and cook for 2-3 minutes.
- Add all of the spices and fry for one minute.
- Add the sweet potatoes and stir well.
- Add all the remaining ingredients, except the coriander, stir well and bring the mixture to a simmer.
- Chop the coriander stalks, reserving the leaves for later, and add the stalks to the pan. Reduce the heat, cover with a lid, and simmer for 15-20 minutes, or until the sweet potato is just tender.
- For the couscous, place the couscous into a heatproof bowl and pour over enough boiling water to cover the couscous by 1.5cm/½in.
- Add the olive oil, preserved lemon and lemon juice and a pinch of salt. Stir well, then cover with cling film and set aside for 3-5 minutes, or until all the liquid has been absorbed.
- Remove the cling film and fluff the couscous up with a fork. Season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- To serve, spoon some couscous onto each plate. Spoon the tagine onto the couscous and sprinkle over the reserved coriander leaves.