Black scabbardfish and Peixe espada preto are the same fish. Different languages, different markets, one species — so a recipe calling for one works exactly as written with the other.
Peixe-espada-preto is the black scabbardfish — a long, ribbon-thin, jet-black deep-water fish with enormous eyes and teeth, caught on longlines set 800 to 1,200 metres down off Madeira and the Azores. It looks alarming and tastes nothing like it looks: the flesh is white, soft, almost boneless and very mild, closer to a delicate white fish than to anything oily. In Madeira it is the local dish, espada com banana, fried in a light coating and served with fried banana and passionfruit, a combination that sounds implausible and works. It is also common in Lisbon fish markets. The name causes constant confusion in Portuguese: peixe-espada is not espadarte. Espadarte is swordfish — a large, meaty, steak-cut pelagic fish grilled like tuna — while this is a soft-fleshed deep-sea fish usually sold as thin fillets. They are not substitutes for one another.
One species, one fishmonger’s counter at a time.
| Country | Called |
|---|---|
| 🇺🇸United States | Black scabbardfish |
| 🇬🇧United Kingdom | Black scabbardfish |
| 🇫🇷France | Sabre noir |
| 🇪🇸Spain | Sable negro |
| 🇵🇹Portugal | Peixe-espada-preto |
| 🇮🇹Italy | Pesce sciabola nero |
| 🇩🇪Germany | Schwarzer Degenfisch |
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