Portugal

Madeira's black scabbardfish - ugly as sin and devilishly delicious

Krzysztof Kowalski 25 January 2021 3 min read

The black scabbardfish is Madeira's pride. Espada, as the fish appears on the menu of every restaurant , is caught in only two places in the world: apart from Madeira, only off the coast of Japan. Its appearance may frighten you, but it tastes incomparably better than it looks.

Espada - appearance, fishing and the Funchal market

Espada lives in the deep waters around Madeira — Espada lives in the ocean depths around Madeira

Espada is a predator from the depths of the ocean. The fish resembles an eel, but its body tapers. It can grow up to 1.5 metres long. Its pitch-black skin has no scales at all. Big eyes and sharp teeth complete the picture. Had I seen it earlier and got to know its repulsive appearance, I might not have grown quite so fond of it. But it was only after a few days on Madeira, on the lower level of the Mercado dos Lavradores market hall in Funchal, that I saw it on a stall selling the fresh catch. At the market, the vendors prepare it with practised movements; once the backbone is cut out it is free of bones, and the skin only needs to be rubbed with a rough sponge to reveal the white flesh.

Espada is filleted at the stalls of Mercado dos Lavradores.

Espada feeds deep down, usually at a depth of around a kilometre. To catch it, fishermen use hooks attached to long lines. The best bait is pieces of octopus. Because of the difference in pressure, it is already dead when it reaches the surface. Island legend has it that no one has ever managed to see one alive.

Scabbardfish with banana, lime and passion fruit

Scabbardfish with lime served at the "O Cais" restaurant in Caniçal

Scabbardfish is prepared in several ways. At the harbour in Caniçal I was served small pieces in breadcrumbs with grated lime zest. Another time, in a restaurant in the old part of Funchal, on Rua de Santa Maria, the fish was also breaded, but it came with fried banana. Tradition dictates that it should be a banana grown on Madeira: smaller, firmer and tarter than the ones in mainland supermarkets. It was served in a similar way on the terrace of the "SolMar" restaurant, overlooking the ocean in Seixal in the north of the island. The waiter will often suggest chips and a small salad of fresh vegetables as side dishes.

Espada served at the "SolMar" restaurant in Seixal

Behind the cathedral in Funchal, a piece of the fish was served on toast with a little passion fruit mousse. It tasted superb with a glass of local white Barbusano wine from 2017 . Near the market, scabbardfish was served as a quick snack, in a bread roll. Young Madeirans usually eat a sandwich like this in the rays of the rising sun after a night out dancing.

Espada on toast, eaten behind the cathedral in Funchal.

At the Fajã dos Padres restaurant the fish is served in a modern style, with freshly made passion fruit mousse, potatoes boiled in their skins and blanched vegetables. The fish surely comes from the local market and the vegetables straight from the farm. Both the farm and the restaurant occupy a strip of land between the seashore and a sheer cliff.