THIS month's cooking column is going to show you how to roast some snapper fillets and serve them with a delicious dressing with Asian flavours.
When you are filleting the snapper, leave the skin on the fillets. Scale and gut the fish only. To continue the Asian theme we are going to partner the snapper with some mashed potato. Not just any old mashed potato however. Read on and you will see what I mean. The following quantities are for two reasonably-sized fillets of snapper, about 300gms a fillet.

ROAST SNAPPER
Ingredients
2 snapper fillets (about 300gms each)
1 tablespoon olive oil
freshly ground salt and pepper
Dressing
1 tablespoon grated ginger
1 dessertspoon prepared mustard
1 clove garlic, finely crushed
1 tablespoon sake (optional)
1 tablespoon Kikkoman soy sauce
1 tablespoon mirrin

PREPARATION
Preheat: the oven to 400°F/200°C.
To prepare the fish: Brush the skin of the fish with a little of the olive oil and season with the freshly-ground salt and pepper. Heat an ovenproof heavy-based frypan over a high heat until very hot. Lay the snapper fillets into the pan, skin side down. Brown the skin for a couple of minutes before transferring the pan into the oven.
Cook the snapper fillets in the oven for three to four minutes, depending on the thickness of the fillet. Poke a skewer into the thickest part of the fillet, there should still be a little resistance to the skewer. Remove the snapper fillets from the oven.
To prepare the dressing: Mix the ingredients for the dressing in a small saucepan and heat gently.
To serve: Lay the roast snapper fillets on a serving plate, skin side up. Drizzle the dressing over the top of the fillets. Add a generous serving of wasabi mash and you have an Asian flavour sensation.

WASABI MASH
The amount of wasabi paste that you put into the mash depends on your personal taste. The quantities shown will give a decided kick to the mash, without actually reducing you to tears.
Ingredients
3 potatoes, peeled and cut into cubes
2 cloves of garlic, left whole
1/2 cm slice of fresh ginger
1 tablespoon butter
2 shallots, very finely chopped
2 tablespoons of wasabi paste

PREPARATION
Cook the potatoes, whole garlic cloves and ginger in a pot of boiling water until the potatoes are tender. Drain the potatoes, retaining the garlic and ginger with the potatoes. Place into a bowl and mash with the butter. When the potatoes are creamy, add the chopped shallot and wasabi paste and mix thoroughly to ensure the wasabi is evenly distributed throughout the mash.
The seafood used in this recipe was supplied by Sams Seafood, Hamilton Ph. (07) 3268 7088.