Stargazy Pie

Method

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1. Rub the butter and lard into the flour and salt, add the cold water and bring to a dough. Wrap and refrigerate 1 hour.

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2. Season the boned fish inside with the salt, pepper and lemon juice.

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3. Fry the bacon and onion together 8 minutes, until the onion is soft, then cool.

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4. Roll two thirds of the pastry and line a 24 cm pie dish.

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5. Scatter the bacon and onion over the base with the quartered eggs and the parsley.

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6. Lay the fish like the spokes of a wheel, tails meeting at the centre, heads resting up on the rim of the dish.

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7. Whisk the custard ingredients together and pour it around the fish.

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8. Roll the remaining pastry into a lid, cut slits for the heads, and lay it over so each head comes through. Seal the edge.

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9. Glaze the pastry with the beaten egg, avoiding the heads.

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10. Bake at 180C fan / 200C / gas 6 for 45 minutes, until the pastry is golden and the custard is set.

    Mark done Start 45 min timer

Chef’s Tips

• Heads outside the crust. Inside, their oil turns the filling bitter.
• Bone them but keep them whole. That is the dish.
• Custard, not white sauce. It sets around the fish.

Common Substitutions & Variations

• Double cream won't whip if you swap it, but for the cooking itself, full-fat crème fraîche or a lower-fat single cream works in its place.

Pairing Suggestions

• Buttered new potatoes
• Peas
• A dry Cornish cider

Storage & Reheating

Refrigerated for 2 days. Reheat covered at 160C. Do not freeze.

Common questions

Nutritional Highlights

Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list. Treat these as an estimate — brands and cuts vary.