Wondering what stargazy pie actually is, and whether you’d dare eat it? It’s a Cornish fish pie baked with fish heads poking through the crust, tied to Mousehole’s Tom Bawcock legend and easy to make at home with sardines.
This guide is part of our look at cornwall food and drink, where you can find more dishes with a story.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Tom Bawcock’s Eve | 23 December |
| Where the legend is set | Mousehole, near Penzance |
| Kinds of fish in the legend | Seven |
| Sardines in the recipe below | 6 (serves 4) |
| Oven time and temperature | 30-35 minutes at 180°C |
The date, place and fish count come from CooksInfo, and the recipe figures from Great British Life. Figures can change, so check the source before you rely on them.
What is stargazy pie?
Stargazy pie is a Cornish fish pie in which whole fish are baked so their heads stick up through the pastry lid. According to Tasting Table, the sardine heads are “quite literally gazing at the stars above”, which explains the name.
The traditional fish is the pilchard, which is a sardine. One retelling of the folk tale says Mousehole’s fishermen fished especially for pilchards for centuries.
Fillings vary from cook to cook. Tasting Table lists these ingredients among those reported for the dish:
- Butter, cream, onion and stock
- Hard-boiled eggs
- A custard laced with mustard
- Plenty of parsley, pepper and salt
Chef James Strawbridge says it is “make it up as you go along” cooking. In the Great British Life piece he describes it as “almost like a ‘make it up as you go along’ kind of pie”.
The legend of Tom Bawcock
The story is set in Mousehole, a fishing village near Penzance. One winter, storms kept the boats in harbour and the village edged towards starvation.
Tom Bawcock, a fisherman, set out anyway and came back with enough fish for everyone. CooksInfo says he reputedly caught seven different kinds of fish, not just pilchards.
Versions of the tale differ. In one, Tom takes his cat, which “calmed the sea”; in others, he simply acts on a lull in the weather. The landlady of the Ship Inn then made a stargazy pie from some of the catch.
The legend also inspired a children’s book. The Mousehole Cat was written by Antonia Barber and illustrated by Nicola Bayley, and one source dates it to 1990.
How true is the story?
No one can pin down when it happened. Tasting Table notes that the exact year is unknown, and CNN Style calls Tom the 16th-century fisherman who “supposedly” began the legend.
The Pie Journal says the timeline is wobbly, with some saying 16th century and others 18th.
There is also a sceptical view. Tasting Table reports that Dorothy Hartley, author of Food In England, attributed the sky-facing heads to the Victorians, and that there is little proof for the Tom Bawcock tale.
It adds that a Mousehole man told Vice his late wife was the one who came up with the pie. Whichever story you prefer, the heads have a practical job. The oil released in cooking drains back into the pie, which keeps it moist.
Tom Bawcock’s Eve in Mousehole
The pie is tied to Tom Bawcock’s Eve on 23 December, the night before Christmas Eve. CooksInfo says staff at the Ship Inn announce when the pie is ready, and it is served from the bar before moving to the restaurant.
Later that evening a procession of children, musicians and dancers carries lanterns through the village. The same page says the harbour lights start going up in late November, and a display in the village is often shaped like a stargazy pie.
It also says few locals go to the pub on the night now, because it is so crowded with tourists. Great British Life reported that the pie has been served free after the lantern parade, with donations going to the local RNLI, so check the Ship Inn’s own plans before you travel.
The celebration has a quieter side. CNN Style reports that the harbour lights are switched off for an hour each year to remember the Solomon Browne lifeboat, lost after a mayday call on 19 December 1981.
If you want to read about the village’s other traditions, note that CooksInfo’s page was last updated on 25 November 2021, so details may have moved on.
How to make stargazy pie at home
This version follows the recipe James Strawbridge created for the Marine Stewardship Council, as published by Great British Life. It serves 4 and is rewritten here in short form, so check the original for his full wording.
Ingredients
- 6 Cornish sardines, filleted, with the heads kept
- 400g butter shortcrust pastry
- 1 shallot, 1 potato and ½ fennel bulb, all finely diced
- 1 clove of garlic
- 150g pancetta and 50g butter
- 1 tbsp chopped chives and 1 tbsp chopped parsley
- 2 tbsp plain flour
- 75ml white wine or dry cider
- 150ml milk and 150ml double cream
- A pinch of saffron, plus salt and pepper
Method
- Heat the oven to 180°C and fry the pancetta in the butter.
- Add the shallot, garlic, potato and fennel, and sauté for 5-10 minutes.
- Stir in the flour to make a smooth roux, then add the wine or cider, the saffron, the milk and the cream.
- Stir over a low heat for 10-12 minutes.
- Roll out the pastry lid and cut slits for the heads.
- Mix the sardine fillets and herbs into the filling, move it to a pie dish and season.
- Poke the heads up, lay the pastry over the top, crimp the edges and brush with beaten egg.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes until golden brown.
Strawbridge has tried the heads and says he doesn’t recommend eating them: “It’s very crunchy, and not the best bit of the dish”. He still keeps them in for tradition.
If you like saffron in savoury cooking, our guide to cornish saffron buns covers its sweeter Cornish side.
Variations and what to serve with it
The pie is flexible, so cooks have adapted it freely. Here are some examples from the sources:
- Chef Mark Hix won the main course of the Great British Menu in 2007 with a take combining rabbit and crayfish, according to Great British Life.
- Strawbridge suggests Cornish hake or prawns if you have good quality fish.
- CNN Style describes a chef’s pie of smoked haddock, hake, cod, mackerel and herbs, noting that “everything depends upon the season”.
- The Pie Journal mentions herring or sea bass, sliced eggs, leeks and a mustard-infused bechamel.
For a side, Strawbridge recommends steamed greens or boiled new potatoes. The Pie Journal calls dry cider the best drink match and a Cornish bitter ideal for beer drinkers.
If cider isn’t your thing, our guide to cornish gin covers another local drink.
Not everyone is won over. A cook at Eats History made a bacon, potato and egg version, found the fish flavour dominated, and rated it 1.2/10, though the filling without the sardines was “actually great”.
Frequently asked questions
Why is it called stargazy pie?
Show answer
The fish heads poke up through the crust and appear to look at the sky. Tasting Table describes the sardine heads as gazing at the stars above.
When is stargazy pie eaten?
Show answer
Traditionally on 23 December, Tom Bawcock’s Eve in Mousehole. CooksInfo’s page, last updated 25 November 2021, says it is still served that night at the Ship Inn.
Do you have to use pilchards?
Show answer
No. Pilchards are sardines, and The Pie Journal says mackerel is sometimes used, with herring and sea bass among the variations. Great British Life’s recipe uses Cornish sardines.
Is the Tom Bawcock legend true?
Show answer
No one can say. Tasting Table says the year is unknown and reports there is little proof for the tale.
