Aishling Moore: A show-stopping seafood Christmas dinner

Monkfish wellington by Aishling Moore: Picture Chani Anderson

This weekend’s monkfish Wellington is the perfect option for a show-stopping seafood Christmas dinner. 

Maybe you are hosting a pescatarian, or you’d just rather a change from the usual fare of turkey and ham this year, If so, this is the recipe for you.

Monkfish, one of the meatier fish in the sea, is the perfect species for this application.

One whole 250g tail of monkfish, skinned and trimmed of any sinew or membrane, is what you’ll need. 

The skinning and trimming is vital, left attached it will cause the tail to tighten and curl when cooking.

You can ask your fishmonger to do this step for you.

You might notice I haven’t mentioned anything about seasoning the monkfish at any stage of this recipe.

Salt will cause the fish to leech water, which would result in a soggy pastry base.

The monkfish will release juices when cooking: that’s where the addition of breadcrumbs in the mushroom duxelles comes in, absorbing all that flavourful liquor before it has a chance to seep into the pastry.

Season the mushroom duxelles. generously, this will in turn season the monkfish as it bakes in the oven.

You can use button or chestnut mushrooms here. I like to use a couple of rehydrated dried shitake mushrooms in the mix too.

It’s essential to remove all the water from the mushrooms when cooking the duxelles, so that the addition of the breadcrumbs is soaking up the juices from the monkfish and not from the mushrooms.

I’ve served this wellington with some seasonal sprouts and a very simple green peppercorn sauce, which complements the dish beautifully.

Made by reducing white wine, fish stock and cream, finishing with a generous tablespoon of green peppercorns in brine and a couple of twists of freshly cracked black pepper.

Monkfish Wellington

I’ve served this wellington with some seasonal sprouts and a very simple green peppercorn sauce, which complements the dish beautifully.

Servings

4

Course

 Main

Ingredients

• For the Wellington:

• 1 x 250g monkfish tail (trimmed)

• 2 tbsp Dijon mustard

• 6 whole leaves of savoy cabbage (inner stalk removed but leaves intact)

• 1x batch mushroom duxelles

• 1 x 320g sheet puff pastry

• 4 egg yolks

• 2 sprigs rosemary

• For the mushrooms duxelles:

• 3 tbsp rapeseed oil

• 500g mushrooms finely chopped

• 1 onion, finely diced

• 3 cloves garlic, minced

• 2 sprigs thyme leaves chopped

• 150g breadcrumbs

Method

1. To make the duxelles, heat the oil in a medium-based pot and sweat the onion and garlic until translucent.

2. Add the thyme and mushrooms and cook for 8-10 minutes until caramelised.

3. Add the breadcrumbs, mix and season well . Transfer to a plate and allow to cool completely.

4. To make the Wellington, bring a small pot of water to the boil.

5. Blanch the cabbage leaves until cooked through. Refresh in ice water and drain well. Set aside.

6. Preheat the oven to 200°C/ gas 6.

7. Brush the tail of monkfish in Dijon mustard. Using clean hands, mould the mushroom duxelles around the monkfish to completely coat it.

8. Pat the blanched cabbage leaves to remove excess water. Place the cabbage leaves in the centre of a large sheet of parchment paper.

9. Trim the leaves of cabbage to match the size of the monkfish tail.

10. Brush the cabbage leaves with the remaining Dijon mustard and place the monkfish on top.

11. Use the parchment paper's edges to draw the cabbage around the monkfish, rolling into a sausage shape. Twist the ends of the parchment to tighten. Place in the freezer for 10 minutes to set.

12. Once set, carefully remove the layer of parchment paper.

13. Brush the sheet of puff pastry with egg yolk and place the monkfish in the centre. Roll to cover the monkfish completely in puff pastry, trim the excess pastry and press to seal the sides.

14. Brush with egg yolk and sprinkle with rosemary leaves and sea salt.

15. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes. Reduce the temperature to 190°C/ gas 5 for a further 10 minutes.

16. Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 5 minutes before carving and serving.

Chef's tips

• Use a food processor to prepare the mushrooms for speed.
• You want to remove all the water from the mushrooms when cooking, caramelising to intensify flavour.
• It's fundamental when working with pastry that all the elements are cold so leave the mushrooms and cabbage to cool completely before begging the next step.
• If the cabbage leaves are wet they will not stick to the monkfish so patting dry is essential.
• Chilling the wrapped monkfish tail in the freezer is crucial to make sure each layer is secured before covering in pastry.
• The mushroom duxelles can be made a day ahead.
• The whole Wellington can also be assembled a day ahead: remove it from the fridge 20 minutes before baking in a preheated oven.