Cookbook:Stargazy Pie

| Cuisine of the UK

Stargazy pie is a rich fish pie from Cornwall in the United Kingdom.

Ingredients

 * As many fresh Herrings, Pilchards or Mackerel to fill your pie dish
 * Sufficient pastry to cover your dish
 * Fresh chopped parsley
 * Salt
 * Pepper
 * Up to 6 eggs or ½ pint (300 ml) of cream or top-of-the-milk
 * Fine breadcrumbs
 * Fat bacon rashers (green or smoked to your preference)
 * 2 tbsp tarragon vinegar
 * Butter

Procedure

 * 1) Scale, clean, and bone the fish, separating and retaining their heads.
 * 2) Season inside each with salt, pepper, and parsley. Roll neatly.
 * 3) Butter pie dish, and sprinkle a thick layer of breadcrumbs on.
 * 4) Lay in some of the fish, then alternate breadcrumbs and fish until dish is full. Cover with bacon rashers.
 * 5) Beat eggs with vinegar, pour into pie, or use cream. Cover with pastry.
 * 6) Arrange fish heads on pastry, so as they are looking up (to the stars).
 * 7) Bake in a hot oven.
 * 8) Serve with a sprig of parsley in mouth of each fish.

Notes, tips, and variations

 * From St. Agnes W.I. in Cornish Recipes, Ancient & Modern, 22nd Edition, The Cornwall Federation of Women's Institutes 1965. First collected & published by Edith Martin, Tregavethan, Truro, 1929, for The Cornwall F.of W. I.