British

Stargazy Pie

A traditional Cornish fish pie with pilchards or sardines baked under a golden shortcrust lid, their heads peeping through the pastry as if gazing upward. The filling is savoury and comforting with potato, egg, onion, parsley, and a little bacon.

Ingredients

• Whole pilchards or large sardines, scaled and gutted, heads and tails left on4
• Shortcrust pastry250g
• Waxy potato, peeled and diced150g
• Eggs2
• Streaky bacon, finely chopped2 rashers
• Small onion, finely chopped1
• Unsalted butter25g
• Plain flour1 tbsp
• Whole milk150ml
• English mustard1 tsp
• Fresh parsley, chopped2 tbsp
• Lemon zest1/2 tsp
• Fine sea salt1/2 tsp
• Black pepper1/4 tsp
• Beaten egg, for glazing1

Method

1. Heat the oven to 200°C fan 180°C gas 6.
2. Boil the diced potato in salted water for 6 to 8 minutes until just tender, then drain well.
3. Hard-boil the eggs for 8 minutes, cool them under cold water, peel them, and cut them into quarters.
4. Gently open each pilchard or sardine from the belly side and remove the backbone and rib bones while keeping the head and tail attached.
5. Fry the bacon in a small pan for 2 minutes until it begins to render.
6. Add the onion and butter to the bacon and cook for 5 minutes until the onion is soft but not browned.
7. Stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute.
8. Gradually stir in the milk to make a thick sauce.
9. Stir in the mustard, parsley, lemon zest, salt, and black pepper, then remove the pan from the heat.
10. Fold the drained potato and quartered eggs gently into the sauce.
11. Spoon the filling into a small pie dish just large enough for 2 servings.
12. Lay the prepared fish over the filling with the bodies inside the dish and the heads and tails arranged to reach the rim.
13. Roll the shortcrust pastry into a lid slightly larger than the dish.
14. Cut small slits in the pastry where each fish head and tail will poke through.
15. Lay the pastry over the pie, easing the fish heads and tails through the slits so they sit outside the crust.
16. Press the pastry firmly to the rim of the dish and trim any excess.
17. Brush the pastry with beaten egg.
18. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes until the pastry is deeply golden and the fish is cooked through.
19. Rest the pie for 5 minutes before serving so the filling settles.

Common questions