Black scabbard fish, a deep-water eel-like species landed off Madeira, filleted, floured and fried, then served with a fried banana and often a passion fruit sauce. Sweet against salt, and unmistakably Madeiran.
Peixe-espada preto lives 800 to 1,200 metres down and is caught on long lines set overnight off Câmara de Lobos, which is why the fish reaches Funchal fresh while almost nowhere else in Europe sells it. The flesh is white, soft and almost boneless. Pairing it with banana was a 20th century restaurant idea that worked because both are island staples, and the passion fruit sauce came later again. Purists in Funchal will tell you the banana is for visitors, then order it anyway.
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