Moroccan sausage stew

Keeping up with my trying a new recipe. This is tonight’s dinner. I just love anything with these flavours in.
Ingredients
2 tsp vegetable oil
8 good-quality pork sausages
2 red onions, cut into wedges
1 garlic clove, crushed
2 tbsp Moroccan spice mix or ras el hanout
100g soft pitted dates, roughly chopped
400g can chopped tomatoes
175ml hot beef stock
1 tbsp cornflour

Method
In a large saucepan or flameproof casserole dish, heat the oil and brown the sausages with the onions for 10 mins until golden. Add the garlic and spice mix with 75ml water to prevent them from burning, and cook for 2 mins until fragrant. Add the dates and tomatoes, mix well. Add the rest of the stock apart from a couple of tablespoons.
Cover with a lid and gently heat to defrost for 25 mins, stirring occasionally.
Mix the cornflour with the reserved stock and pour into the pan. Bring to the boil and simmer, uncovered, for 5 mins until thickened and piping hot. Serve with mashed potato.