This is a recipe I’ve had dog-eared for a few years now. I don’t recall how I first came across it, probably somewhere in the depths of the internet, but as a lover of both seafood and savory pastries, it really wedged its way into my mind. Stargazy pie is an old traditional Cornish dish, whose main components consist of small oily fish cooked (partially) inside a pastry along with eggs and potatoes and cream. I say partially, because tradition dictates that the fish poke their little heads out of the crust (supposedly this was done to encourage the healthy and nutrient rich oils of the fish to run down into the pie as it was baking). And as such, it appears as though the fish are gazing up at the stars, hence the name stargazy pie.
Stargazy Pie
I did my own little twist on it, adding in some lemon (I’m Greek, after all. And fish always goes oh so well with citrus!) plus carrots and celery as well, for some more comforting flavors. I couldn’t find fresh sardines here, so I used frozen mullet that I thawed overnight before using in the pie. I was able to find them at an Asian market, so if you give this recipe a go and are struggling to find little fishes that *aren’t* canned, I definitely recommend visiting the Asian grocers in your area. They always have an amazing array of frozen seafood that typical western grocery stores do not.
As for my delay in posting, my forthcoming book Modern Homestead has essentially taken over my life. But in a good way! I’ve deeply enjoyed working on it and there’s so many wonderful recipes and crafts packed into it. I hope you’ll forgive me for my lack of posts after I share the book with you next year—once you can see the delight that’s been occupying my time these past months, you’ll understand! In the meantime please help yourself to a slice of fishy pie to transport yourself back to the yesteryear of Cornwall, England. And if you’re craving even more savory pastries, this mushroom galette is my all-time favorite.
Stargazy Pie
This traditional Cornish recipe features small fish baked into a savory pastry with potatoes, bacon, carrots, lemon, cream, and herbs.
Stargazy Pie Filling
-
2
tablespoons
olive oil -
1
medium yellow onion
about 8 ounces, chopped -
2
shallots
chopped -
3
strips bacon
chopped -
2
stalks celery
thinly sliced, with leaves if possible -
6
ounces
carrots
thinly sliced -
1
yukon gold potato
about 6 ounces, peeled and cut into ½ inch cubes -
2 ½
teaspoons
kosher salt -
¼
cup
freshly squeezed lemon juice -
1/3
cup
vegetable stock -
¼
cup
heavy cream -
2
eggs
whisked -
2
tablespoons
freshly grated lemon zest -
1/2
cup
fresh parsley
coarsely chopped and loosely packed -
1
tablespoon
fresh thyme leaves -
6
small raw fish such as sardines or mullet
Savory Crust
-
1
egg cold -
1
teaspoon
vinegar -
6 to 7
tablespoons
ice water -
3
cups
all-purpose flour or 1-to-1 GF baking flour
if using GF, may need a tablespoon or two more water in crust -
2
tablespoons
granulated sugar -
1
teaspoon
kosher salt -
1
teaspoon
garlic powder -
1
pinch
cream of tartar -
1
cup
unsalted butter -
1
egg whisked with 1 tablespoon milk
for brushing
Stargazy Pie Filling
-
Sautee onion, shallots, bacon, celery, carrots, potato together in oil. Add 1 ½ teaspoons of the salt. Cook over medium heat until the onions have softened and the mixture is very fragrant, about 10 to 15 minutes, stirring every few minutes. Meanwhile, whisk together the egg and the heavy cream in a small bowl and set it aside. Remove the pan from heat and add the vegetable stock, lemon juice, and lemon zest stirring to dissolve the brown bits at the bottom. Then add the egg and cream mixture, parsley, and thyme and stir until combined. Leave to cool to room temperature.
Savory Crust
-
Grease a 9-inch pie pan and set it aside. Whisk the egg with vinegar and 3 tablespoons of ice water and set aside. Follow instructions below, depending on if you want to make the crust by hand, or if you want to use a food processor.
-
MANUAL METHOD: Mix together the flour, sugar, salt, garlic powder, and cream of tartar in a large wide bowl. Using a box grater, grate the butter using the large hole setting of the grater above the bowl, stopping to stir with a fork and coat the butter bits in the flour mixture every 10 seconds or so. When all the butter is in, pinch the mixture together with your fingertips until it resembles the texture of damp sand. Add the water, a tablespoon at a time, mixing it with a fork, until the dough just holds together when you squeeze a fistful of it in your hand.
-
FOOD PROCESSOR METHOD: In a small bowl, whisk together the egg, vinegar, and 3 tablespoons of the ice water. Set aside. Cut the butter into individual tablespoons and set aside. Place the flour, sugar, salt, garlic powder, and cream of tartar in the food processor and pulse a few times to mix together. Add the slices of butter and pulse until the butter is reduced to roughly pea-sized pieces. Run the machine while you add the egg mixture, letting it blend for 5 seconds after the liquid is added. Do NOT overmix. Add the remaining ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, pulsing as you add it, until the dough just holds together. It shouldn’t be too wet and sticky, nor should it be super crumbly.
Stargazy Pie Assembly
-
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Divide the dough into two equal portions, patting them into a rough circle shape about 1 inch thick. Cover one of them and place it in the refrigerator. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the other disc of dough until it is 1/8-inch thick and transfer it to the greased pie pan. Press the crust into the pan, trim off the excess leaving a 1-inch overhang (save the excess crust for decorations). Fold the 1-inch overhang under the edge of the crust all the way around.
-
Add the cooled filling to the pie, then lay the small fish on top like an asterisk shape, with the heads towards the edges of the pie and the tails overlapping in the center of the pie.
-
On a lightly floured surface, roll out the smaller quantity of dough until it is 1/8-inch thick. Cover the pie with the rolled out dough and cut little holes above where the heads are, then gently reach through the hole and pull the fish heads through so they’re poking out a bit. Press the edges of the crust edges together, and lightly brush the exposed pastry all over with the egg wash. Bake until deeply golden, about 45 minutes to 1 hour. Allow to cool for 20 minutes before slicing and serving
Nutrition Facts
Stargazy Pie
Amount Per Serving
Calories 494
Calories from Fat 288
% Daily Value*
Fat 32g49%
Saturated Fat 15g94%
Trans Fat 1g
Polyunsaturated Fat 2g
Monounsaturated Fat 9g
Cholesterol 138mg46%
Sodium 936mg41%
Potassium 376mg11%
Carbohydrates 39g13%
Fiber 3g13%
Sugar 5g6%
Protein 14g28%
Vitamin A 3952IU79%
Vitamin C 15mg18%
Calcium 142mg14%
Iron 3mg17%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
