Have you seen any sea food?

drSix

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Oct 13, 2013
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M'kay kids, the who fam damily is coming down for a visit. I'm doing the cooking! Hopefully, I won't suck!

My Seafood on the Menu:

Grilled Tuna~Atun, Preferably yellow fin, Ahi
Mahi Mahi~Dorado
Lobster~Langosta
Baby Lobster~ Langostina
Shrimp~Camarones (Is there any difference in espanol between shrimp and the larger Prawns)
Sea Bass~ Mero
Conch~ Lambi
Fried Fish~ Pescado Frito (The whole ones)
Octopus~pulpo (For ceviche)

Are my translations bueno?

I have at one point or another in the last 2 years purchased and cooked all of these. At Various places. I know I can usually get the Mahi from the guy who stands by the road by the International School, some of it Pola, others at Playero, and some in Los Charimicos.

My nanny, said she knows where I can get it... Of course! And, she said by the docs in Puerto Plata. Or, between Montenello and Los Charimicos. I would be interested in getting stuff as fresh as possible, buying from locals. But, I don't really want to have to rely on catch of the day and trying to find all these things when I need them. Is there any "one stop shopping" for seafood around?

Or, should I just stick to what I know and piecemeal it together in and around Sosua?!?

Also, did I miss anything?
 

windeguy

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Jul 10, 2004
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Mero is Grouper. To my knowledge the shrimp and grouper are not caught locally.
 

drSix

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Oct 13, 2013
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Mero is Grouper. To my knowledge the shrimp and grouper are not caught locally.

Ok. I knew shrimp wasn't caught locally. But what about the prawns?, or something like them. I thought maybe that had a different name close to Langosta.

So, what is Sea Bass in Espanol then? I only thought because at some of the restaurants I've been to that have the menu in Spanish and English have Mero=Sea Bass. I may be mistaken. Or, are they calling grouper sea bass? I've made Mero before, from Playero's frozen section. Pretty good.
 
May 29, 2006
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What is labeled as "Mero" can be several fish. What you get in the supermarket frozen as mero is most likely Patagonian Toothfish, a type of cod. What is sold as "grouper" can also be several non grouper fish. It's not sustainable as a commercial fish though they do show up. Where I've seen it fished, they used wire trap cages with live bait inside.

http://priceonomics.com/the-invention-of-the-chilean-sea-bass/

Mahi mahi is very sustainable fish.

There are crayfish in the DR, but I don't know if they are farmed.
 

zoomzx11

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Jan 21, 2006
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Grouper is available caught local. In my lovely little town of Sosua you can go down to the fish coop and get it right off the boats. Its down the old road that goes from Charamicos along the Sosua river to the ocean. They usually have some deep water snapper that is wonderful. The street vendors do sell nice fish but buy it early while its still cool. Once it sits in the sun it loses its quality fast. Eyes are easiest way to tell. Eyes should be bright and clear. There is also a store just down the hill from Albertos Pharmacia, same side of street. I would let availability determine the menu. Fresh spiny lobster is available here. Even frozen the lobster is good. Stay away from the supermarket imports of frozen junk imported from Asia.
 

drSix

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Oct 13, 2013
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Grouper is available caught local. In my lovely little town of Sosua you can go down to the fish coop and get it right off the boats. Its down the old road that goes from Charamicos along the Sosua river to the ocean. They usually have some deep water snapper that is wonderful. The street vendors do sell nice fish but buy it early while its still cool. Once it sits in the sun it loses its quality fast. Eyes are easiest way to tell. Eyes should be bright and clear. There is also a store just down the hill from Albertos Pharmacia, same side of street. I would let availability determine the menu. Fresh spiny lobster is available here. Even frozen the lobster is good. Stay away from the supermarket imports of frozen junk imported from Asia.

I have been down there on a couple occasions. I've found two shops, and it's nice to get out of Gringoland and into the barrio. Have a beer, buy some fish. I will get the fish for my pescado frito there, and ask about the rest, but I don't want to be reliant on whats in their freezer that day for the other stuff.

I am hoping the guy who stands by the road has the Mahi on the day I need it. But, then again, that's a headache too. I know I can just walk into Pola or Playero, and get what I need. And, the price will be displayed, and that is the price I will pay. In Charimicos and with the Road Side Fish Dude, I have to get a price, which will be crazy cause I'm a Gringo, offer a lower price, which he will decline. Then go find a Dominican who'll go buy it for me, probably at less than what I offered him.
 

Meemselle

Just A Few Words
Oct 27, 2014
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There's also that great Dominican fish restaurant across from Caribe Tours in Charamicos. You can buy the whole fish already cleaned & marinated and just prepare them yourself.
 
May 29, 2006
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Grouper is available caught local. In my lovely little town of Sosua you can go down to the fish coop and get it right off the boats. Its down the old road that goes from Charamicos along the Sosua river to the ocean. They usually have some deep water snapper that is wonderful. The street vendors do sell nice fish but buy it early while its still cool. Once it sits in the sun it loses its quality fast. Eyes are easiest way to tell. Eyes should be bright and clear. There is also a store just down the hill from Albertos Pharmacia, same side of street. I would let availability determine the menu. Fresh spiny lobster is available here. Even frozen the lobster is good. Stay away from the supermarket imports of frozen junk imported from Asia.

Eyes, gills and color. The gills get tarry after a couple hours and a Mahi is quite colorful when fresh caught then fades.
 

Dolores1

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May 3, 2000
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Look for shrimps from Sanchez, Samana. They are the freshest and delicious. Do not buy the frozen kind sold in the supermarkets which are usually imports.

Dorado is probably the easiest fresh fish to buy.

Be careful buying mero. They may be selling you Mero Basa (farmed fish from Asia).

Look also for Chillo -- red snapper. The supermarkets source this.

I was told by a friend whose son is a fisherman that fish are in abundance because of the seaweed.
 

La Profe_1

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Oct 15, 2003
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The whole fried fish is often parrot fish - the species known as "cotorra" in Spanish.
 

AlterEgo

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Jan 9, 2009
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Look for shrimps from Sanchez, Samana. They are the freshest and delicious. Do not buy the frozen kind sold in the supermarkets which are usually imports.

Dorado is probably the easiest fresh fish to buy.

Be careful buying mero. They may be selling you Mero Basa (farmed fish from Asia).

Look also for Chillo -- red snapper. The supermarkets source this.

I was told by a friend whose son is a fisherman that fish are in abundance because of the seaweed.

I thought that red snapper was called Colorado. What is Colorado?? Do I want to know?? :)
 

windeguy

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Jul 10, 2004
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Okay, so what is Sea Bass then. Still haven't figured that out?!?

I have seen fish labelled as "Sea Bass" in English in Super Polla. I have no idea if it really was Sea Bass. Lubina is a Spanish translation for Sea Bass, but I have not seen that name used here.
 

drSix

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Oct 13, 2013
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I have seen fish labelled as "Sea Bass" in English in Super Polla. I have no idea if it really was Sea Bass. Lubina is a Spanish translation for Sea Bass, but I have not seen that name used here.

Alright. My confusion, like I said, comes from the menus I have seen that are in English and Spanish. The same dish is Mero, or filete de mero and Seabass.
 

william webster

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Jan 16, 2009
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I'm with Meems.... I go to local casetta and buy it.... whatever is fresh.

May cost a touch more, but it's ready to go..... cleaned and seasoned

Or I send my man when the boats come in.... he cleans it and gets it ready.
We share it.... they're big those fresh caught ones.

I don't like the warm water lobsters