Stargazy Pie
Whole fresh herrings, cleaned and boned, fat bacon rashers and fresh parsley come together in this pork — 70 minutes, 7 steps, and the kind of result worth repeating. You'll find the full ingredient list (with a scaler to change the servings), 7 steps of method, substitutions, and ideas for what to serve alongside.
You'll mainly reach for oven and saucepan. At medium difficulty across 7 steps, it's manageable with a little attention.
What you'll need
Shopping list (5)
Pantry staples (you likely have these)
Diet: contains meat, based on every ingredient listed below.
Contains: Gluten Dairy Egg Fish
Allergen labels are informational and may not cover cross-contact; verify every package and consult a qualified professional for medical dietary needs. Diet labels are derived from the ingredient list on this page — how we verify diet and allergen labels.
Food-safety and allergen information is general, not medical advice. Follow current guidance from your local food-safety authority, verify product labels, and seek qualified advice for allergies or health conditions.
How to make it
- Preheat the oven to 200 C. Open out the cleaned, boned herrings flat and season the insides with salt and pepper. In a small bowl, mix the breadcrumbs, chopped parsley, chopped hard-boiled eggs and a knob of the butter to make a stuffing.
- Divide the stuffing between the fish, lay a strip of bacon along each, then roll the herrings up from the head end so the tail is left free, and sprinkle over the tarragon vinegar.
- Roll out a little over half the pastry and use it to line the base of a greased pie dish, letting the edges overhang.
- Arrange the rolled herrings in the dish like the spokes of a wheel with their tail ends pointing up and outward, dotting any remaining butter over the top.
- Roll out the remaining pastry for the lid, cut small slits around the edge, and lay it over the fish so that the tails poke up through the crust to gaze at the stars, then press and crimp the edges to seal.
- Brush the top all over with beaten egg and bake for 30 to 35 minutes until the pastry is golden and crisp and the fish is cooked through to at least 63 C.
- Rest the pie for 5 minutes, then serve hot with the herring tails standing proud through the lid.
You'll use: Oven · Saucepan
Ingredient substitutions
- Butter
- olive oil (¾ the amount) · coconut oil · margarine
- Eggs
- ¼ cup unsweetened applesauce (baking) · 1 tbsp ground flax + 3 tbsp water per egg
Tips & common questions
How long does Stargazy Pie take to make?
About 70 minutes from start to finish — an estimate based on the 7 steps and 11 ingredients. Times vary with your kitchen and how much prep you do ahead.
What can I use instead of butter?
Try olive oil (¾ the amount). See the substitutions section above for more swaps.
Can I scale this recipe up or down?
Yes — use the servings control above the ingredients and every quantity rescales automatically (fractions included). Cooking times stay roughly the same; very large batches may need a little longer.
How should I store leftovers?
Cool leftovers quickly, refrigerate in an airtight container, and eat within 3 days. Reheat until piping hot throughout.
Related recipes
Adapted recipe — rewritten in our own wording from an open-licensed community cookbook, not yet independently kitchen-tested by Consomee. How we source, test & correct recipes.
Stargazy Pie is adapted by Consomee from the Wikibooks Cookbook, rewritten in our own wording and used under CC BY-SA 4.0. Photo: Baked stargazy pie.jpg by Krista, CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons. We add the serving scaler, ingredient tools, timing and structure — how we source recipes.