Why Fish Heads Stick Out Of Stargazy Pie

Goldfish crackers may be the snack that smiles back, but imagine being served a pie with severed fish heads staring up at you from the crust. It's not a macabre prank dish; instead, it's stargazy pie. A Cornish delicacy, stargazy pie is somewhat like razzleberry pie in that you may not precisely know what is inside, and like shepherd's and cottage pies (yes, there is a difference) in that it is savory. But that's where the similarities leave off and stargazy pie very much becomes its own dish.

Stargazy pie is a dinnertime staple that, depending on who prepares it, is either filled with a creamy roux enrobing as many specimens of local seafood as you can cram beneath a crust, or stuffed with filling savory staples like potatoes, bacon, hard-boiled eggs, and onions. The crown on this pie is the addition of several fish heads embedded in the crust, their eyes gazing skyward (hence the name). 

Tradition states that the fish heads, which traditionally come from anchovy-like specimens called pilchards, are meant to honor the fishermen who brought home the haul — and one historically notable fisherman in particular. Stargazy pie is traditionally served one night a year, on December 23rd. That marks a holiday called Tom Bawcock's Eve, and which centers around the town of Mousehole in Cornwall.

According to legend, one winter in the 16th century was particularly harsh, and the inhabitants of the coastal village of Mousehole were starving. In response to the crisis, fisherman Tom Bawcock set out on his fishing vessel in the midst of a raging storm (in some versions of the story, he is accompanied by his cat). He hauled in enough fish to feed the whole village thereby ending the famine. Now, every December, lanterns are lit in the village, while stargazy pie is eaten in honor of his tremendous catch. One local pub in particular, the Ship Inn, often hands out free servings of stargazy pie, accompanied by plenty of singing, dancing, and general good cheer. It's worth noting that some argue that stargazy pie was actually invented sometime in the 20th century, though that's no reason not to try the dish.

There's no reason you couldn't prepare your own stargazy pie, either on Tom Bawcock's Eve or any old night of the year. A bounty of fresh, local seafood is preferred, but no judgment if you select something from the grocery store instead. The arrangement of the fish heads in the crust is up to you and can be accomplished by scoring slits in the raw pastry dough. You can place the heads (sardines will do fine in the absence of pilchards) in a circular pattern, or have them pop more dramatically up from the center of the pie like totems. However you do it, your guests will likely be surprised, but urge them to dig in and enjoy the delicious dish anyway.