I'll start with what I know for sure.

congrio frito-Fried conger eel which is a firm white fish that has a mild, not fishy taste. Usually served in huge portions enough for two persons.

congrio cocida en mantequilla y ajo-Congrio cooked in butter and garlic

I did a search in Spanish for a photo of congrio and found this wikipedia page of Gastronomía de Chile with pictures. I think it will be a good reference for food in Chile. There are listings of foods according to region also. It is in Spanish.

…wikipedia.org/wiki/Gastronom%C3%ADa_de_Chile

I still haven’t found a photo of the fish. It is not the eel we think of in English. It is a long fish but it is more like a fish than a snake. At Donde Agosto they have a case with the fresh seafood on display. Of course, you can see everything in the market too.

Congrio is a fish with an eel like tail. Many people like Corvina, not fried in batter but grilled, a la plancha. Another alternative is Lenguado, again, a la plancha, it is sometimes called sole, but it is really closer plaice. Atún is good too again a la plancha. Congrio is often served in Cazuela.

Clams are machas or almejas - different types. The machas are pink. In southern Chile there is another clan, navajuala, razor clam and it is served instead of machas, as in machas a la parmesana. There are various kinds of mussels, choros, choritos (smaller) and choros zapatos (enormous). For the real fans there are erizos (sea hedgehogs) and picarocas (a large barnacle).

Enjoy.

I was looking for a translation I liked of different seafood and fish. This one is quite good. Toid has mentioned many items on it:

Merluza (hake)

Almejas (clams)

Reneita (pippin)

Choritos (small mussel)

Jurel (mackerel)

Salmon (salmon)

Machas (clams)

Congrio (conger)

Cholgas (large mussels)

Corvina (like sea bass)

Jaibas (crabs)

Cochayuyo (a firm brown seaweed, soaked and stewed)

Langostinos (prawns)

Lenguado (sole)

Locos (like abalones)

Erizos (sea urchins)

Ostras (oysters)

Pejerreyes (smelt)

Albacora (swordfish)

Ostiones (scallops)

Calamares (small squid)

Picorocos (barnacles)

Atun (tuna)

Your Jardin de Mariscos should have been what you expected. It used to come with raw shellfish but that is no longer allowed. I don't know what was on your plate so I can't comment on that. A paila marina would be a hot seafood broth filled with shellfish.Usually restaurants offer corvina, lenguado or reineta with a choice of sauce. Margarita sauce, for instance would contain shellfish. 'Al horno' would be baked, 'a la plancha' would be grilled and 'frito' is fried. A 'chupe' is a thick concoction of fish and a bread-based sauce, usually served in an earthenware bowl, and browned under the grill. Not to be confused with a Peruvian chupe, which is a soup. 'Pastel de jaiba' is another favourite: carb, breadcrumbs, onion, garlic, cream and parmesan served in an earthenware bowl. Good ones have the correct proportion of crab to the rest of the ingredients. I would avoid piures, easy to spot because they are bright orange, as they have an overwhelming taste of iodine. Just a personal opinion. Some shellfish can only be served during certain times of the year but you will find good fish all year round.

Reina, if you put congrio into google and then click images at he top of the first page, you will get endless photos of congrio.

DM and Toid

Thanks for your responses they will really help. I'll be sure to print out the information for my trip. I hope others will find it just as helpful.

Thank you everybody that is really useful

Here is a drawing of the congrio I remember seeing in the market. You click on the picture to make it bigger. http://tinyurl.com/n246j

Here is Pablo Neruda's Oda al Caldillo de Congrio/ Ode to Congrio Chowder http://www.soupsong.com/sconger.html

Everytime I did a search about congio this poem by Chile's famous poet came up in the search. This website has the original poem in Spanish and an English translation along side.

Here us a picture of the soup. I will be sure to try it next time I am in Chile. I can't wait.

http://tinyurl.com/r52h3

Just to confuse you, congrio comes in three varieties: congrio negro, congrio colorado, congrio dorado. Each has its devotees. I have found two translations for it, kingklip and cusk eel. Having written the fish chapter for a cookbook many moons ago, I can tell you that translating the names of fish is tricky as there are always alternatives. What is corvina in one country is a slightly different fish in another but with the same name. But once you dip your spoon into your caldillo you won't really care what the fish is called.

I would like to know what your favorite seafood dish is. How you order it in Spanish and what wine do you get to go with it, if you drink wine, that is.

I have a hard time not getting a pisco sour at every opportunity but I will try to sample more of the Chilean wines this trip.