Trim any large pieces of fat from the lamb and cut into 3–4 cm pieces. Peel and slice the onions and finely chop the garlic. Rinse the coriander and separate the stalks from the leaves; finely chop the stalks. Halve the apricots.

Heat 20 ml of the oil in a heavy casserole over a medium-high heat. Brown the lamb in two batches and transfer to a plate. Reduce the heat and cook the onions in the same pan for 10 minutes, adding a splash of water to loosen any browned bits.

Add the garlic, coriander stalks, cumin, ground coriander, ginger and cinnamon. Stir for 1 minute, then return the lamb and its juices. Add 500 ml tap water, ¾ teaspoon salt and the pepper. Bring to a simmer, cover and cook very gently for 90 minutes, stirring occasionally and adding a little water if the pan becomes dry.

Stir in the apricots. Cover and simmer for another 30–40 minutes, or longer if needed, until the lamb is very tender. Remove the lid for the last 10 minutes if the sauce needs to thicken. Stir in the juice of half the lemon.

Meanwhile, toast the almonds in a dry frying pan over a medium heat for 3–4 minutes, shaking often, then roughly chop. Put the couscous in a heatproof bowl with the remaining 10 ml oil and ¼ teaspoon salt. Add boiling water in the amount stated on its packet, cover for the packet time, then fluff with a fork.

Scatter the tagine with the coriander leaves and almonds. Serve with the couscous and wedges from the remaining lemon half.