Stargazy pie is a traditional fish pie from Cornwall, England, made with sardines that still have their heads and tails attached. Other ingredients can include eggs, cream, onions, bacon, and mutton. The pie is associated with Christmas celebrations and can be made with a flaky or shortcrust pastry crust. The fish heads protrude through the crust, giving the pie its name. Legend has it that the pie originated to honor a successful local fisherman who caught a large quantity of fish during a time of famine.
Stargazy pie is a type of fish pie that originated in the town of Mousehole in Cornwall, England. The pie is easily recognizable because the heads of the fish used in the pie protrude through the pastry crust and appear to be looking up at the stars – the origin of the pie’s name. Sardines that still have their heads and tails attached traditionally are used as the filling for the pie, although the rest of the fish is usually cleaned so it can be eaten. In addition to the pastry crust and fish, other ingredients that can be used in the pie include eggs, cream, onions, bacon, and in some cases, other meats, such as mutton. Some less traditional recipes for stargazy pie don’t bake the pie with the fish heads peeking through the crust.
In the Cornish town of Mousehole, stargazy cake is most often associated with Christmas celebrations. Some accounts state that the pie began when the town honored a successful local fisherman who caught a large quantity of fish in a single trip during a time of famine in the town. If the legend of the fisherman is true, the traditional recipe for stargazy pie is said to primarily use sardines or include seven different fish, including sardines, dogfish, eel, herring, and mackerel, among others, which presumably represent the types of fish caught by fisherman .
The pie itself can be made with a flaky or shortcrust pastry crust. The stargazy cake pan can be coated with the pastry or the pastry can only be used on the top of the cake. In some preparations, due to the dish’s name, small stars of different sizes are cut out of the extra dough and placed on top with a little egg wash to form a bed of stars between the fish heads.
The main ingredient in stargazy cake is fish. In a very simple preparation, the sardines are scaled and cleaned, although the heads are left attached despite being mostly inedible. The fish are stuffed with onions and herbs such as tarragon or thyme. Each of the fish is placed with its tail in the center of the pan, after which the head is thrust through a slot in the top of the pastry crust. Baked, most of the interior is just the flesh of the sardines flavored with oil from the fish heads dripping into the pie.
Potatoes, bacon, mutton, vegetables like carrots, and other ingredients are sometimes added to stargazy pie. In some presentations, the tails of the fish are also threaded through the holes in the crust so that the fish is swimming on the surface of the pie. A slice of pie can be served as a meal on its own, or it can be accompanied by baked potatoes, roasted meats, or boiled eggs.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
