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stargazy pie

Stargazy Pie

A legendary Cornish dish said to have saved the village of Mousehole from famine, Stargazy Pie is as much about folklore as it is about food. The pie is filled with a hearty mixture of bacon, potatoes, onions, parsley, hard-boiled eggs, and sardines, with the fish heads poking through the golden crust as if gazing at the stars. Both whimsical and strange, it remains one of Britain’s most memorable historic recipes.
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Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes

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IngredientsMethodVideoNotes

Ingredients
  

  • 3 slices bacon chopped
  • 1 medium onion finely diced
  • 2 medium potatoes peeled and diced, then parboiled
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 2 tablespoons flour
  • 1 ½ cups whole milk
  • 2 hard-boiled eggs sliced
  • 2 tablespoons fresh parsley chopped
  • Salt and black pepper to taste
  • 3-5 whole sardines cleaned and gutted, heads left on
  • 2 circles of pie pastry 9-inch each

Instructions
 

  1. Prepare the filling: Boil the potatoes until just tender, about 5–6 minutes. Drain. In a skillet, fry the bacon until crisp, then add the onion and cook until soft. Stir in the potatoes, parsley, and season with salt and pepper.
  2. Make the roux: In the same pan, melt the butter, whisk in the flour, and cook for 1 minute. Slowly add the milk, whisking until thickened. Combine this sauce with the bacon and potato mixture.
  3. Assemble the pie: Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Line a pie dish with one pastry circle and spoon in the filling. Layer slices of hard-boiled egg on top. Arrange the sardines so that their bodies rest inside the filling while their heads poke out.
  4. Add the crust: Cover with the second pastry circle, sealing edges around the fish heads. Brush pastry with egg wash if desired.
  5. Bake: Bake for 30–35 minutes until the pastry is golden brown and crisp, and the sardines are cooked through.
  6. Serve: Let rest a few minutes before slicing. Traditionally paired with peas or seasonal greens.

Video

Notes

  • Stargazy Pie is traditionally made with pilchards, but sardines are the closest substitute available today and work just as well.
 
  • The sardine heads poking through the crust are essential to the presentation, though you can use fillets inside the filling if you want a milder flavor.
 
  • The creamy potato, bacon, and onion base balances the strong fish flavor, making the pie more comforting than it might first appear.