This is a big weekend for us, as the Buffalo Bills are hosing the Miami Dolphins. While this divisional rivalry has faded over the years due to hard times for both teams, it is still a special weekend for me. Growing up in the 90s, Kelly vs Marino, Smith vs Webb, Gardner vs Cox, and even laughing at Stoyanovich’s facemask was my football childhood. Both sides had their ups and downs (although, I think Buffalo did get the best laugh when the Bills went down to Miami for the 1992 AFC Championship Game and laid a 29-10 beat-down in front of a stadium of Dolphins fans). This rivalry was built upon intense respect and pure hatred, making it the most compelling one I’ve ever experienced. This era of Bills football gave me memories with my dad and uncle that I will cherish forever. Squish the fish!
Why share all of that reminiscing, you ask? Well, that’s an easy one to answer. It lays the foundation for our choice of fish for this dish! Mahi Mahi is a fish that goes by many names. “Dorado” is one….and “Dolphin” is another! Don’t worry…it’s not the mammal, and we would never consider eating Snowflake.
Now, onto the food. Wellington fillings often have liquid that can leak and cause complications with the puff pastry, so generally, all of the fillings are rolled in prosciutto. That flavour wouldn’t work in this case, so we had to find another option. We used rice paper wraps like you’d use to make summer rolls (or Beet Hot Dogs). They worked well, as they didn’t really affect the taste or texture, but they kept everything nicely encapsulated like prosciutto does for more traditional Wellingtons.
The flavour profile of this dish was definitely unique (not in a bad way), and as we ate, we got a few ideas for other ways to build seafood fillings to complement the butter flavour of the puff pastry: 1. Buffalo bleu cheese mahi, 2. Oregano, black olive, and capers cod loin, and 3. Garlic basil monkfish.
Time: 50 Minutes
Ingredients:
- Mahi Mahi Fillets (or other fish you’re using)
- Dried Mango Slices (We used spicy mango)
- Red Pepper
- Any other fillings you like…Green onion and/or coconut flakes would be decent too
- Rice Paper Wraps (one per Wellington)
- Puff Pastry (defrosted)
Method:
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F, line a baking sheet with some foil, and give it a spray with some oil.
- Slice your red pepper, and set it aside with your dried mango
- Quickly sear your mahi in a hot pan for about a minute on each side, and then set aside with your red pepper and mango.
- Moisten your first rice paper wrap in some warm water on a plate (per package instructions), and then move it to a dry surface, top it with your fish, red pepper, and mango, and then fold it. Do this with all of your wraps until you’ve got all of your fish rolled.
- Place your puff pastry on your cutting board, and cut it into the number of pieces you need…roll it out with a rolling pin if necessary.
- Place one of your rice paper capsules atop your first piece of puff pastry, and roll. Close up the sides, and place on your baking sheet. Repeat until all of your Wellingtons are on the baking sheet.
- Bake for 35-40 minutes until your puff pastry…well…gets puffy and golden brown on top.
- Plate, devour, and enjoy!
