Lamb and Pear Tagine

Lamb & Pear Tagine    2 large  Onions, peeled & sliced  1 kg Lean lamb, leg or shoulder cut into 4cm cubes.  4 Pears, peeled cored & cut into 4cm chunks  1/2 cup of  Sultanas  1/2 cup of silvered almonds  1 tablespoon of Olive oil  1 teaspoon of Cumin  1 teaspoon of Ground coriander  1 teaspoon of Ground ginger  1 teaspoon of Cinnamon  1 teaspoon of Black pepper  Water, to cover the meat  Salt, to taste Tagines are Moroccan slow-cooked meat, fruit & vegetable dishes which are almost invariable made with mutton. Using lamb cuts down the cooking time, but if you can find good hogget (older than lamb, younger than mutton, commonly labeled "baking legs" and sold cheaply) that will do very well. In a large saucepan gently fry the onion in the olive oil until soft, add the meat to the pan and cook until it changes color, then add the spices. Add water to just cover the meat and salt to taste. Cover and simmer gently until the meat is tender, about 1 1/2 - 2 hours. (Displace the lid a little after an hour if there appears to be too much liquid. Add the pears to the meat together with the sultanas & almonds. Cook for a further 5 minutes or until the pears are soft. Serve with rice.