Stargazey Pie Recipe | Cornwall's Most Dramatic Dish

Stargazey Pie — From Elowen's Kitchen

The legend goes that Tom Bawcock, a fisherman from Mousehole, sailed out in terrible winter storms to bring in a catch when the village was on the edge of starvation. He returned with a haul so large that all seven types of fish were baked into a single pie, with the heads pushed through the pastry to prove the catch was real. Mousehole still celebrates Tom Bawcock's Eve on 23rd December with a procession, lanterns and stargazey pie.

The heads poking through the pastry are not decorative — they were there to show that the pie contained real fish, not just scraps. The oils from the head and bones run back into the filling during cooking, enriching the sauce.

The traditional fish is pilchards — the Cornish name for adult sardines. They are a historically significant fish in Cornwall: the pilchard industry supported entire villages for centuries. Today, fresh or canned sardines are the most accessible substitute. Newlyn fish market sells fresh pilchards in season.

Ingredients (serves 4-6)

6 fresh sardines or small pilchards, cleaned but heads left on Sea salt and black pepper Juice of 1 lemon

For the filling: 30g salted Cornish butter 1 medium onion, finely chopped 2 rashers streaky bacon, chopped 2 tablespoons plain flour 300ml fish or vegetable stock 100ml double cream 2 hard-boiled eggs, roughly chopped 2 tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley Salt and pepper

For the pastry: 350g plain flour 175g cold salted butter, cubed Pinch of salt 80-100ml cold water 1 egg, beaten, for glazing

Method — Pastry

Make the shortcrust: rub the cold butter into the flour and salt until you have coarse crumbs. Add cold water gradually until the dough just comes together. Wrap and rest in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Method — Filling

Preheat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan).

Season the sardines inside and out with salt, pepper and lemon juice. Set aside.

Melt the butter in a pan. Soften the onion and bacon over a medium heat for 8-10 minutes. Add the flour and cook for 2 minutes. Gradually add the stock, whisking until smooth. Add the cream and simmer for 5 minutes until thickened. Remove from the heat. Stir in the chopped eggs and parsley. Season.

Assembly

Line a deep 23cm pie dish with two-thirds of the pastry.

Spoon in the filling. Lay the sardines on top of the filling with their tails pointing towards the centre and their heads resting on the pastry rim, angled so they will poke through the pastry lid when it goes on.

Roll out the remaining pastry and lay it over the filling. Press and trim the edges, crimping firmly. Make cuts in the pastry where each fish head is positioned and carefully push the heads through so they poke above the pastry surface.

Brush with beaten egg. Bake for 35-40 minutes until the pastry is deep golden and the filling is bubbling.

Elowen's Tips

For Tom Bawcock's Eve (23rd December), this is the centrepiece. Serve it at the table before cutting so everyone can see the heads gazing up before they're hidden by serving.

If fresh sardines aren't available, use mackerel (equally Cornish and excellent). The flavour is slightly stronger but the method is the same.

The hard-boiled eggs in the filling are traditional and make the pie more substantial. Some older recipes also include a layer of sliced cooked potato.

Serve with buttered new potatoes and a simply dressed green salad. Nothing fussy.

For Your Event?

For Cornish-themed events, celebration dinners or supper clubs, Salt Wind Catering can create bespoke menus featuring traditional Cornish dishes. Call 01209 206255 to discuss.