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Cornish stargazy pie
Pilchards baked in pastry with their heads gazing at the sky
BritishStargazy pie is baked in the Cornish fishing village of Mousehole every 23 December for Tom Bawcock's Eve, celebrating the fisherman who is said to have sailed out in a storm and saved the village from famine. Whole pilchards or sardines are baked under pastry with egg, potato and bacon, their heads poking out so they gaze at the stars and their oil runs back into the filling. The bacon is smoked pork. Chef's tip: ask the fishmonger to bone the fish but leave the heads on; it makes the pie much easier to eat.
- Total time
- 80 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
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What you'll need
Fresh ingredients (8)
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Heat the oven to 400°F (350°F fan). Fry the 4 rashers smoked streaky bacon in the 1 tbsp olive oil until crisp, add the 1 onion and cook 6 minutes until soft.
10 minStep 2: Roll out half the 1 ⅛ lb shortcrust pastry to line a 23 cm pie dish. Layer in the 10 ½ oz waxy potatoes, 3 eggs, bacon and onion.
10 minStep 3: Mix the ½ cup double cream, 1 tsp English mustard, 3 tbsp parsley, 1 tsp lemon zest, ½ tsp salt and ½ tsp black pepper and pour over the filling.
2 minStep 4: Lay the 8 whole pilchards or sardines, boned with heads on like spokes of a wheel with the heads at the rim, tails to the centre.
3 minStep 5: Roll out the rest of the pastry, cut slits where each head sits and lay it over so the heads poke through, pointing upwards. Seal the edge and brush with 1 egg. A common mistake is covering the heads; they burn less and drain their oil inward if they stand up.
8 minStep 6: Bake for 35–40 minutes, until golden; the fish is done when the flesh by the tails is opaque and flakes. Rest 10 minutes before cutting.
45 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 560 kcal
- Protein
- 26 g
- Carbs
- 38 g
- Fat
- 33 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does cornish stargazy pie take?
- About 80 minutes in total: 40 minutes to prepare and 40 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- What can I use instead of onion?
- 2 shallots per onion.
- What can I use instead of waxy potatoes?
- Sweet potato, same weight (sweeter, cooks a little faster).
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