LAMB GOULASH WITH BISCUITS

WHITE CHRISTMAS
With my excuses to that other Jew Irving Berlin

I’m dreaming of a white Christmas
Just like the one I never knew.
Where the rooftops shimmer
My eyes do glimmer
As I stare at the lovely view.

I’m dreaming of a white Christmas
Where I can stay in and bake all day.
Where Marty snuggles
And Jamie juggles
Mixing bowls and baking trays.

I’m dreaming of a white Christmas
With every blog post that I write.
Where the airports shut down
The town’s in lockdown
And we must eat by candlelight.

I’m dreaming of a white Christmas
While something simmers on the fire.
Goulash di-vine
He’ll pop some good wine
It’s all that one could so desire.

I’m dreaming of a white Christmas.
And I wish the same for all of you.
May the food be abundant and good!
Wishing all the very season’s best to you!

Crisp, cold weather outside, warm and toasty inside, wonderful aromas wafting from the kitchen, the wine chilling and the cake frosted. Home. This is the perfect winter evening to me. I really don’t need anything else. Oh, we’ve spent Decembers in Florida basking in the tropical warmth, eating oranges off the tree and driving around the neighborhood looking at the fantastic, gaudy array of Christmas decorations. We’ve spent a luxurious, pampered, romantic Christmas at a Palace hotel in the center of Paris overlooking the stunning, frosted fairytale white Tuileries, nibbling petits fours and sipping champagne. We’ve spent family Christmases on both sides filled with laughter and excited children, holiday specials on TV, tables laden with food and gifts. We’ve spent the holidays strolling through Italian street fairs and sharing the food, fun and singing with our adopted Italian family up at the farm. But after all these years, I still think home is the best.


I was in the mood for stew the other night, something rich and warming and flavorful. I loved the idea of a goulash, redolent of tomato and paprika (the sweet from Budapest, the smoky from New York) but craved lamb. And so wanted biscuits. So I put the whole thing together, and how simple it was! By the time JP walked in the door from a hard day’s work and a frosty trip home, the house was filled with the fabulous aroma of goulash, putting a smile on his work-worn face.


Sometimes we want something hearty and succulent, a bowl of goodness to warm our insides while outside it is cold and wintry, yet we just don’t have the time or the desire to spend standing in front of the worktop and stove, what with all the holiday shopping and baking, the piles of gifts to wrap and the cards to fill out and send. We pull on another pair of wooly socks and wrap another sweater around us and all we yearn for is a place on the sofa in front of the fire or an old black & white film, savoring something delicious, something good for both body and soul.


This wonderful Lamb Goulash takes only minutes to put together, then it is simply left simmering on the stovetop, filling your home with an amazing aroma and fairly cooking itself. You can even prepare this early in the day and just warm it up on the burner before finishing the dish in the oven. Whip up a batch of homemade biscuits, roll, cut and layer onto the goulash in a baking dish and bake until the biscuits are fluffy, risen and golden and the goulash is bubbling. A perfect wintertime meal!

LAMB GOULASH WITH BISCUITS

Olive oil
3 – 4 medium onions, cut in half and thinly sliced
1 Tbs sugar
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbs sweet Hungarian paprika
1 tsp smoky paprika
1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
1 bay leaf
3 Tbs or 2 small cans tomato paste
2 Tbs balsamic vinegar
4 cups (1 liter) chicken stock
2 ½ lbs (1.2 kg) boneless lamb shoulder
1 tsp salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 carrots, trimmed, peeled and sliced into coins
Fresh parsley
6 ½ - 7 oz (200 – 300 g) white mushrooms, trimmed, cleaned and cut into chunks
1 - 2 Tbs 15 – 30 g) margarine or butter
7 oz (200 ml) heavy cream or Greek yogurt (Greek yogurt will add a wonderful tang)


BISCUITS:
2 cups (250 g) flour
4 tsps baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
½ cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 stick (115 g) unsalted butter, cubed
2/3 cups (165) cold milk, or as needed
Egg wash (1 egg beaten with 1 Tbs water), optional


Prepare the Goulash:

In a large pan or Dutch oven with lid, heat a couple of tablespoons of olive oil. Add the onions and the sugar and, stirring, sauté until the onions are caramelized. This will take several minutes. Once the onions are caramelized a deep golden brown, add the minced garlic and cook, stirring, for another minute.


Add the sweet and smoky paprikas, the thyme leaves and the bay leaf. Sauté an additional minute, stirring constantly.


Add the tomato paste and stir until everything is well blended. Add the balsamic vinegar, scraping up the brown bits of onion and tomato stuck to the bottom and deglaze. Add the chunks of lamb and the sliced carrots and toss to coat. Salt and pepper. Toss in a handful of freshly chopped flat-leaf parsley.


Add the chicken stock to cover. Bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer. Cover the pot and simmer for 1 hour 15 minutes.


Before this cooking time is up, sauté the chunks of mushroom in butter or margarine in a small saucepan until tender and golden on the edges. Add to the goulash at the end of the 1 hour 15 minutes then allow the goulash to continue to simmer for an additional 15 minutes. Remove from the heat.

Once the goulash is off the heat, stir in the cream or yogurt.

Prepare the biscuits:

Preheat the oven to 450°F (230°C).

Put the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar and chopped fresh parsley into a large mixing bowl. Add the cubes of butter and, using your fingertips, rub the butter into the flour until blended and the mixture resembles cornmeal or damp sand. Add the milk, a little at a time, mixing with a fork until the dough forms into a (just slightly sticky) ball.

Scrape the dough out onto a floured surface and, working quickly and with the balls of your hands (your palms will heat the mixture and the butter will get too sticky), smear the dough in an outward motion away from you in several movements until you have smeared all of the dough once - this will incorporate all of the butter into the dough. Scrape the dough back into a ball and knead very quickly just until the dough is blended, uniform and silky smooth. At this point you can wrap it in plastic wrap and put it into the fridge for several minutes if the dough is too sticky; this will make it easier to roll out.


Roll out the dough to a thickness of 3/8 – ½ inch (@ 1 cm) and cut out round of dough with a cookie or biscuit cutter. Brush the tops of the biscuits gently with egg wash if you like.

Pour the goulash into a large oven baking dish. Gently place the cut biscuits all over the surface of the goulash.


Place in the preheated oven and bake for 10 – 12 minutes or until biscuits are well risen and just starting to brown around the edges and the goulash is bubbling.

Serve hot.


This is a fabulous goulash and the biscuits are the perfect accompaniment and were a huge hit with the family. But if you like, go ahead and serve the goulash from the pot over fresh noodles or even boiled potatoes.