The Savory Foods Of The Dominican Republic
by Habeeb Salloum
 From a poolside restaurant at Casa Colonial Beach Resort & Spa, a luxury abode
on Playa Dorada, Puerto Plata’s top resort, I gazed over the inviting sands of
the beach while we enjoyed our crab dish, cooked in a gourmet Dominican Republic
style. I was purring in contentment relishing this fine sample of that country’s
traditional cuisine encompassed in an aura of luxury.
 Like most of the Spanish-speaking Central American and Caribbean countries, the
cuisine of the Dominican Republic is a mixture of the European and Middle
Eastern foods, as well to some extent that of the Western Hemisphere's
Indigenous peoples. In the majority of dishes, the Spanish element predominates,
giving the Dominican food its overtone. Since the indigenous population, early
in the Spanish occupation, were either killed off or died from European
introduced diseases, their contributions have been minimal.
 The Spanish introduced into the New World bananas, carrots, coconuts, coriander,
figs, garlic, ginger, grapes, lemons, lime, olives, oranges, plantains,
pomegranates, pork, rice, sugar, tamarind, and numerous other foods - a good
number brought to Spain by the Arabs - and these have become the true basis of
the Dominican kitchen.
 From the gentle Tanio Indians of Hispaniola, which today includes both the
Dominican Republic and Haiti, the country's foods only inherited allspice and
cassava. On the other hand, from the other Indians in the Americas, the island's
cuisine was enriched by avocados, beans, callaloo, corn, guavas, hot and sweet
peppers, papayas, pineapples, squash and pumpkin, tomatoes and various types of
potatoes.
 Through the years, from all these foods, a tasty and varied Dominican kitchen
was developed, overwhelmingly influenced by the Spaniards. The heavy utilization
of coriander, garlic and olives has given the island's cooking an Iberian
Peninsula flavour. The use of dried fruit with meat in cooking - a Moorish
legacy in Spain - is popular throughout the country. Such well-known Spanish
foods like cocidos (stews), huevos flamenco and all types of seafood are today
as Dominican as the merengue - the lively dance which impregnates every home in
the country.
 The Dominicans, who call their country ‘the breadbasket of the Caribbean’,
because it grows almost all the known fruit and vegetables, love their foods
prepared fresh. They are enamoured with starchy foods such as beans, cassava,
plantains, rice and sweet potatoes, and these serve as the basis for many of
their dishes. In the daily fare, usually served peppery hot, allspice, garlic,
hot peppers, oregano and fresh coriander leaves are the most used herbs and
spices.
 The
mid day meal is the big event in the lives of the Dominicans. While diners feast
on their savoury dishes, cervaza (beer) and rum flow freely. In the background,
the passionate merengue is always to be heard. Picture # 6 The Dominicans love
to dance and sing and, hence, enjoy music with their food. This does not even
stop when dessert - often made from bananas and coconuts - is being relished. As
the black coffee, to end the meal, is being sipped, the young are often dancing
in an empty space - their way to cap a tasty Dominican meal.
Sample the Dominican kitchen by trying these easy to prepare dishes made from
ingredients easily found in North American markets.
Coctel de Camarones - Shrimp Cocktail
Serves from 6 to 8
1/3 cup olive oil
1/3 cup lemon juice
1 large tomato, finely chopped
2 medium onions, grated
4 tablespoons finely chopped fresh coriander leaves
2 tablespoons finely chopped green olives
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon marjoram
1/2 teaspoon. pepper
1/8 teaspoon. allspice
1/8 teaspoon. cayenne
908 g (2 pounds) cooked shrimps
Thoroughly combine all ingredients, except shrimps. Stir in shrimps then chill
before serving.
Cauliflower Appetizer
Serves 8 to 10
1 medium cauliflower, cut into pieces and fried
1 large avocado, peeled and pitted
2 cloves, crushed
1/2 cup ground almonds
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
4 tablespoons lemon juice
4 tablespoons water
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
Place cauliflower on a serving platter then set aside.
Thoroughly combine all remaining ingredients, except parsley. Spread evenly over
cauliflower. Decorate with parsley and serve.
Sancocho - Top Dominican Stew
Serves 8 to 10
The national dish of the Dominican Republic, this dish is wholesome and tasty
and favoured by all classes in society.
4 Tablespoons cooking oil
454 g (1 pound) chicken, cut into large pieces
227 g (1/2 pound) beef, cut into small pieces
114 g (1/4 pound) ham, cut into small pieces
114 g (1/4 pound) hot sausage, cut into small pieces
2 medium onions, chopped
6 cloves garlic, crushed
1 hot pepper, finely chopped
454 g (1 pound) squash, peeled and diced into 1-inch cubes
2 medium carrots, scrapped and diced into 1 inch cubes
2 medium potatoes, peeled and diced into 1 inch cubes
2 cups cooked chickpeas
2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/4 cup chopped green olives
4 tablespoons finely chopped fresh coriander leaves
Heat oil in a frying pan, then sauté chicken for 10 minutes. Remove with a
slotted spoon and place in a large saucepan. Repeat the same process for the
beef, ham and sausage, adding more oil if necessary. Sauté onions, garlic and
hot pepper in same oil for 10 minutes.
Transfer frying pan contents to the saucepan. Stir in remaining ingredients,
except olives and coriander then cover with water to 1 inch above the meats and
vegetables. Bring to boil, then cover and cook over medium heat for 1hour or
until all meat is well cooked, adding more water if necessary. Stir in olives
and coriander, then serve hot.
Picadillo - Ground Meat Stew
Serves 8 to 10
This dish is much favoured by the majority of the inhabitants of the Dominican
Republic.
4 tablespoons cooking oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
6 cloves garlic, crushed
1 hot pepper, finely chopped
908 g (2 pounds) ground beef
2 cups water
1/2 cup chopped green olives
4 tablespoons tomato sauce
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon allspice
Heat oil in a frying pan, then sauté onion, garlic and hot pepper over medium
heat for 5 minutes. Add meat and stir-fry for a further 10 minutes. Stir in
remaining ingredients, then cover and simmer over low heat for 40 minutes
stirring a number of times and adding more water if necessary. Serve with cooked
rice.
Carne Fiambre - Dominican Meat Loaf
Serves 8 to 10
681 g (1/2 pound) ground beef
454 g (1 pound) shelled raw shrimp
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
2 medium onions, chopped
4 cloves garlic, crushed
1 small hot pepper, chopped
1 cup bread crumbs
3 eggs, beaten
2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon allspice
1 cup fresh or frozen peas
Place all ingredients, except peas, in a food processor and process into paste.
Combine with peas and transfer to two small greased bread pans. Cover with
aluminium foil then bake in a 180° C (350° F) preheated oven for 1 hour. Remove
foil and bake for a further 30 minutes. Take out of oven then allow to cool.
Slice and serve.
Banana Pudding
Serves 8 to 10
10 ripe medium size bananas
1 cup milk
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup flour
2 eggs, beaten
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
whipped cream
shredded coconuts
Thoroughly combine all ingredients, except cream and coconuts. Place in a
casserole, then cover and bake in a 180° C (350° F) preheated oven for 40
minutes.
Remove from oven and allow to-cool. Cover evenly with whipped cream, then
sprinkle with coconuts and immediately serve.
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