Espada com banana is Madeira's signature dish: pan-fried black scabbardfish fillet topped with a slice of fried banana and finished with a passion-fruit reduction. The sweet banana balances the mild, buttery fish; the passion-fruit cuts the richness. Expect to pay €10–15 in a tasca, €18–24 in a Funchal seafront restaurant.
The combination is genuinely Madeiran, not a tourist invention. Madeira has grown both bananas (Musa cavendishii on the south coast terraces) and scabbardfish (landed at Câmara de Lobos) for over a century, and pairing the two on one plate predates the package-tourism era. The banana is shallow-fried in butter until the edges caramelise, then laid on the fillet at the pass — never battered, never deep-fried.
A correctly cooked espada com banana uses a fresh (not frozen) fillet, dusted in seasoned flour and pan-fried in butter for under three minutes a side so the flesh stays just-set and silky. The passion-fruit element varies: most kitchens reduce the pulp with a splash of white wine and a knob of butter; some serve the maracujá raw on the side. Standard sides are boiled potato, salada russa or milho frito.
Where to eat it: lunch at Câmara de Lobos for the freshest fish (try Restaurante Vila do Peixe or any of the tascas on Rua São João de Deus), or Funchal old town for the polished version (Armazém do Sal, O Tasco). Avoid hotel buffets and the heavily-touristed Avenida do Mar restaurants — both default to frozen espada and pre-cut supermarket banana. Ask 'é fresco?' before ordering.