Cookbook:Stargazy Pie

Stargazy Pie
Category	Pie and tart recipes
Difficulty

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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.