Pie with a portion removed and fish heads sticking out the top

Stargazy pie

Name: Stargazy pie
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 1 h 5 min
Total time: 1 h 25 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: British
Ingredients: 3 eggs; pinch of saffron strands; 150ml whole milk; large knob of butter; 1 large leek chopped; 6 rashers smoked streaky bacon chopped; 1 floury potato (about 250g), cut into 1cm cubes; 2 tbsp plain flour; 300ml double cream; 3 tbsp chives finely chopped; 6 large sardines or 3 small mackerel, butterflied with the heads left on (backbones and tails removed); 320g sheet of puff pastry

Silvana Franco

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Serves 6

Easy

Prep: 20 mins

Cook: 1 hr - 1 hr and 5 mins

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Bake this traditional fish pie from Cornwall, so-named for the mackerel, or sardines, looking skyward through the crust

Low sugar

Nut-free

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Ingredients

Nutrition

Units:

MetricUS

3 eggs
pinch of saffron strands
150ml whole milk
large knob of butter
1 large leek

chopped
6 rashers smoked streaky bacon

chopped
1 floury potato

(about 250g), cut into 1cm cubes
2 tbsp plain flour
300ml double cream
3 tbsp chives

finely chopped
6 large sardines

or 3 small mackerel, butterflied with the heads left on (backbones and tails removed)
320g sheet of puff pastry

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Nutrition: Per serving

kcal708
fat54g
saturates28g
carbs31g
sugars4g

low
fibre3g
protein24g
salt1.62g

Method

step 1

Bring a saucepan of water to the boil and carefully add two of the eggs. Boil for 9 mins, then drain and run under cold water. Once cooled, shell and roughly chop. Meanwhile, put the saffron in a cup, pour in the milk and set aside.
step 2

Melt the butter in a pan over a low heat, then add the leek, bacon and potatoes, and cook gently for 10 mins. Stir in the flour and cook for 2 mins. Add the saffron milk a little at a time, stirring well, then bring to a simmer and cook for 5 mins until the sauce has thickened. Pour in the cream, then stir in the chopped eggs and chives, and some seasoning.
step 3

Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Pour the cream sauce into a rectangular ovenproof dish and arrange the fish with the heads pointing up. Unroll the pastry, making slits for the fish heads to poke through, then lay over the dish and guide the heads through the slits. Lightly beat the remaining egg, then brush the rim of the pie dish with some of it and press the pastry edges down firmly. Brush the top of the pie with the remaining egg, then put on a baking sheet and bake for 40-45 mins until puffed and dark golden.

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