Stargazy pie
Encyclopedia
Stargazy pie is a Cornish dish made of baked pilchards, along with eggs and potatoes, covered with a pastry
crust. Although there are a few variations with different fish being used, the unique feature of stargazy pie is fish heads (and sometimes tails) protruding through the crust, so that they appear to be gazing skyward. This allows the oils released during cooking to flow back into the pie.
The dish originates from the village of Mousehole
(icon) in Cornwall
and is traditionally eaten during the festival of Tom Bawcock's Eve to celebrate his heroic catch during a very stormy winter. According to the modern festival, which is combined with the Mousehole village illuminations, the entire catch was baked into a huge stargazy pie, encompassing seven types of fish and saving the village from starvation. There is evidence that the festival dates back even further, to pre-Christian times. The story of Bawcock was popularised by Antonia Barber
's children's book The Mousehole Cat
, which featured the star-gazy pie. In 2007 contestant Mark Hix won the BBC
's Great British Menu
with a variant of the dish.
-based fish pie
which, by tradition, is filled with whole pilchards. Critically, the pilchards must retain their heads, which then poke through the pastry top, appearing to gaze at the stars. The position of the fish
allows the oil that is released during cooking to drain into the pie, adding a fuller flavour and ensuring the pie is moist. Celebrity chef, Rick Stein
, suggested also poking the pilchards' tails through the pie crust to give the effect of leaping through water.
In spite of the fact that the British Food Trust describes the dish as being fun as well as amusing to children, it has been listed in "Yuck! Disgusting things people eat", a lifestyle feature by the New York Daily News
based upon the book by an American author, Neil Setchfield. On Tom Bawcock's Eve it is served in The Ship Inn, the only pub
in Mousehole, sometimes after a re-enactment of the legend.
in Cornwall
. As with many parts of Cornish heritage, a legend has appeared about its origins. In this case, the pie is served to celebrate the bravery of Tom Bawcock
, a local fisherman in the 16th century. The legend explains that one winter had been particularly stormy, meaning that none of the fishing boats had been able to leave the harbour. As Christmas approached, the villagers, who relied on fish as their primary source of food, were facing starvation.
On 23 December, Tom Bawcock decided to brave the storms and went out in his fishing boat. Despite the stormy weather and the difficult seas, he managed to catch enough fish to feed the entire village. The entire catch (including seven types of fish) was baked into a pie, which had the fish heads poking through to prove that there were fish inside. Ever since then, the Tom Bawcock's Eve festival is held on 23 December in Mousehole. The celebration and memorial to the efforts of Tom Bawcock sees the villagers parading a huge stargazy pie during the evening with a procession of handmade lanterns, before eating the pie itself.
An older feast, held by the fishermen towards the end of December, included a pie cooked with different fish to represent the variety of catches the men hoped to achieve in the coming year. There is a possibility that Tom Bawcock's Eve is an evolution of this festival. Since 1963, the festival has been run against the backdrop of the Mousehole village illuminations, where the entire harbour is lit up, along with many other displays. One set of lights even represents the pie itself, showing fish heads and tails protruding from a pie dish underneath six stars.
There was a rumour that the entire festival was a fabrication by the landlord of The Ship Inn in the 1950s, however festivities had been recorded by Morton Nance
, an author on the Cornish language
, in 1927 in the magazine Old Cornwall. His description was regarding the festivities prior to 1900, though he doubted the reality of Tom Bawcock, suggesting it was in fact "Beau Coc". He also went on to confirm that the origins of the festival dated back to pre-Christian times, though it is unclear at what time the stargazy pie became part of the festivities. Morton Nance went on to restore the traditional song sung on Tom Bawcock's Eve, played to the local tune "wedding March".
s, horse mackerel
, pilchards, herring
, dogfish
and ling
along with a seventh fish. In a traditional pie, the primary ingredient is the pilchard (sardine)
, although mackerel
or herring
is used as a substitute. Richard Stevenson, chef at The Ship Inn in Mousehole, suggests that any white fish will work for the filling, with pilchards or herring just added for the presentation. Prior to putting it in the pie the fish should be skinned and boned (except the head and tail), to allow for ease of eating. Along with the fish, the other traditional ingredients are thickened milk
, eggs and boiled potatoes
.
Many recipe variations around the traditional ingredients exist, some of which include hard-boiled eggs, bacon
, onion
, mustard
or white wine. Other alternatives to the main fish can be crayfish
and rabbit
or mutton. The recipes for the stargazy pie are all topped with a pastry
lid, generally shortcrust
but sometimes puff pastry
, through which the fish heads and sometimes tails protrude.
For presentation, one suggestion is that the pilchards are arranged with their tails toward the centre of the pie and their heads poking up through the crust around the edge. As it includes potatoes and pastry, the pie can be served on its own or with crusty bread, sometimes with vegetables. Other suggested accompaniments are Cornish Yarg
, Rhubarb chutney, poached eggs or a slice of lemon.
by Antonia Barber
is inspired by Tom Bawcock's Eve. It is the story of Tom Bawcock and his loyal black and white cat, Mowzer, setting sail to catch the fish. When the boat hits the storm, it is represented by a giant "Storm-Cat", allowing Mowzer to eventually save the day by soothing the storm with her purring. This purring becomes a song and while the Storm-Cat is resting Tom is able to haul in his catch and return to the village. When they arrive back at the village, the entire catch is baked into a "Star-Gazy" pie, on which the villagers feast. Notably, Antonia Barber points out that stargazy pie was a staple of Mousehole diet before Tom's heroic fishing expedition, however, whereas according to tradition it dates from his return and legendary catch.
was won by Mark Hix
, head chef at The Ivy
in London, with a variation on stargazy pie. Instead of the traditional pilchards, he combined rabbit and crayfish
for the filling, poking some crayfish through the pie crust. As the winning main course, the pie was served along with the other winning courses at an Ambassador's dinner at the British Embassy in Paris
. Breaking with tradition, the judges also chose his dessert, making him the only chef to have won two separate courses on the show. Mark Hix had previously created a similar version of the dish for a festival aimed at increasing the use of mutton. His mutton and crayfish stargazy pie was made during a festival in 2006, and he served it at his London restaurants for a time.
never came to Cornwall.
In his book Popular romances of the west of England; or, The drolls, traditions, and superstitions of old Cornwall, a collection of Cornish traditions, Robert Hunt
explains that the Devil crossed the River Tamar
to Torpoint
. The chapter, entitled "The Devil's Coits, etc", reasons that the Devil discovered the Cornish would put anything in a pie and decided to leave before they took a fancy to a "devilly" pie, returning to Devon
.
miniseries Poldark
featured Cornish couple Demelza and Ross Poldark eating a stargazy pie. Also, the first film written and directed by Charles Dance, Ladies in Lavender
, was set in Cornwall and featured a stargazy pie. The dish was also featured on the ITV show, Britain's Best Dish
. In the children's book, The Lighthouse Keeper's Cat by Ronda and David Armitage, the protagonist's favourite dish is stargazy pie, and he is rewarded with one at the end.
The American rock band, The Silver Seas (under their previous name The Bees U.S.) released an album called Starry Gazey Pie
. The album and titular track were based upon a recipe in a cookbook which band member Daniel Tashian remembered from his childhood.
A stargazy pie also appears in the film adaptation of James and the Giant Peach
.
Pastry
Pastry is the name given to various kinds of baked products made from ingredients such as flour, sugar, milk, butter, shortening, baking powder and/or eggs. Small cakes, tarts and other sweet baked products are called "pastries."...
crust. Although there are a few variations with different fish being used, the unique feature of stargazy pie is fish heads (and sometimes tails) protruding through the crust, so that they appear to be gazing skyward. This allows the oils released during cooking to flow back into the pie.
The dish originates from the village of Mousehole
Mousehole
Mousehole is a village and fishing port in Cornwall, United Kingdom. It is situated approximately 2½ miles south of Penzance on the shore of Mount's Bay.The village is in the civil parish of Penzance...
(icon) in Cornwall
Cornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
and is traditionally eaten during the festival of Tom Bawcock's Eve to celebrate his heroic catch during a very stormy winter. According to the modern festival, which is combined with the Mousehole village illuminations, the entire catch was baked into a huge stargazy pie, encompassing seven types of fish and saving the village from starvation. There is evidence that the festival dates back even further, to pre-Christian times. The story of Bawcock was popularised by Antonia Barber
Antonia Barber
Antonia Barber is an English author of the books for children and adults. Barber resides in Kent and Mousehole, Cornwall. Her award winning book, The Mousehole Cat has been made into an animated film and is being adapted as a stage musical. Her real name is Barbara Anthony...
's children's book The Mousehole Cat
The Mousehole Cat
The Mousehole Cat is a children's book written by Antonia Barber and illustrated by Nicola Bayley. Based on the legend of Tom Bawcock and the stargazy pie, it tells of a cat who goes with its master on a fishing expedition in rough seas. The book has won awards, including the 1991 British Book...
, which featured the star-gazy pie. In 2007 contestant Mark Hix won the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
's Great British Menu
Great British Menu
Great British Menu is a BBC television series in which top British chefs compete for the chance to cook one course of a four course banquet. The first series banquet was for the Queen on her 80th birthday. The second series was to cook for the British Ambassador to France at the British Embassy...
with a variant of the dish.
Description
Stargazy pie is a pastryPastry
Pastry is the name given to various kinds of baked products made from ingredients such as flour, sugar, milk, butter, shortening, baking powder and/or eggs. Small cakes, tarts and other sweet baked products are called "pastries."...
-based fish pie
Fish pie
Fish pie is a traditional British dish. The pie is usually made with white fish in a white or béchamel sauce made using the milk the fish was poached in. Prawns and hard boiled eggs are other common additional ingredients...
which, by tradition, is filled with whole pilchards. Critically, the pilchards must retain their heads, which then poke through the pastry top, appearing to gaze at the stars. The position of the fish
Fish (food)
Fish is a food consumed by many species, including humans. The word "fish" refers to both the animal and to the food prepared from it. Fish has been an important source of protein for humans throughout recorded history.-Terminology:...
allows the oil that is released during cooking to drain into the pie, adding a fuller flavour and ensuring the pie is moist. Celebrity chef, Rick Stein
Rick Stein
Christopher Richard "Rick" Stein OBE is an English chef, restaurateur and television presenter. He is currently the head chef and co-owner of "Rick Stein at Bannisters" at Mollymook, New South Wales, Australia, owns four restaurants in Padstow, a fish and chip shop in Falmouth, Cornwall and has...
, suggested also poking the pilchards' tails through the pie crust to give the effect of leaping through water.
In spite of the fact that the British Food Trust describes the dish as being fun as well as amusing to children, it has been listed in "Yuck! Disgusting things people eat", a lifestyle feature by the New York Daily News
New York Daily News
The Daily News of New York City is the fourth most widely circulated daily newspaper in the United States with a daily circulation of 605,677, as of November 1, 2011....
based upon the book by an American author, Neil Setchfield. On Tom Bawcock's Eve it is served in The Ship Inn, the only pub
Public house
A public house, informally known as a pub, is a drinking establishment fundamental to the culture of Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. There are approximately 53,500 public houses in the United Kingdom. This number has been declining every year, so that nearly half of the smaller...
in Mousehole, sometimes after a re-enactment of the legend.
Origins
The pie originates from the fishing village of MouseholeMousehole
Mousehole is a village and fishing port in Cornwall, United Kingdom. It is situated approximately 2½ miles south of Penzance on the shore of Mount's Bay.The village is in the civil parish of Penzance...
in Cornwall
Cornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
. As with many parts of Cornish heritage, a legend has appeared about its origins. In this case, the pie is served to celebrate the bravery of Tom Bawcock
Tom Bawcock
Tom Bawcock is a legendary character from the village of Mousehole, Cornwall. He appears to have been a local fisherman in the 16th century. According to the legend, one winter had been particularly stormy, meaning that none of the fishing boats had been able to leave the harbour...
, a local fisherman in the 16th century. The legend explains that one winter had been particularly stormy, meaning that none of the fishing boats had been able to leave the harbour. As Christmas approached, the villagers, who relied on fish as their primary source of food, were facing starvation.
On 23 December, Tom Bawcock decided to brave the storms and went out in his fishing boat. Despite the stormy weather and the difficult seas, he managed to catch enough fish to feed the entire village. The entire catch (including seven types of fish) was baked into a pie, which had the fish heads poking through to prove that there were fish inside. Ever since then, the Tom Bawcock's Eve festival is held on 23 December in Mousehole. The celebration and memorial to the efforts of Tom Bawcock sees the villagers parading a huge stargazy pie during the evening with a procession of handmade lanterns, before eating the pie itself.
An older feast, held by the fishermen towards the end of December, included a pie cooked with different fish to represent the variety of catches the men hoped to achieve in the coming year. There is a possibility that Tom Bawcock's Eve is an evolution of this festival. Since 1963, the festival has been run against the backdrop of the Mousehole village illuminations, where the entire harbour is lit up, along with many other displays. One set of lights even represents the pie itself, showing fish heads and tails protruding from a pie dish underneath six stars.
There was a rumour that the entire festival was a fabrication by the landlord of The Ship Inn in the 1950s, however festivities had been recorded by Morton Nance
Robert Morton Nance
Robert Morton Nance was a leading authority on the Cornish language, nautical archaeologist, and joint founder of the Old Cornwall Society....
, an author on the Cornish language
Cornish language
Cornish is a Brythonic Celtic language and a recognised minority language of the United Kingdom. Along with Welsh and Breton, it is directly descended from the ancient British language spoken throughout much of Britain before the English language came to dominate...
, in 1927 in the magazine Old Cornwall. His description was regarding the festivities prior to 1900, though he doubted the reality of Tom Bawcock, suggesting it was in fact "Beau Coc". He also went on to confirm that the origins of the festival dated back to pre-Christian times, though it is unclear at what time the stargazy pie became part of the festivities. Morton Nance went on to restore the traditional song sung on Tom Bawcock's Eve, played to the local tune "wedding March".
Recipes
The original pie in the legend included sand eelSand Eel
Sand eel or sandeel is the common name used for a considerable number of species of fish. Most of them are sea fish of the genera Hyperoplus , Gymnammodytes or Ammodytes...
s, horse mackerel
Horse mackerel
A horse mackerel is a large fish, such as the tuna, and the scad or saurel of the Pacific coast:*Australian bonito *various Jack mackerels*Pilot fish...
, pilchards, herring
Herring
Herring is an oily fish of the genus Clupea, found in the shallow, temperate waters of the North Pacific and the North Atlantic oceans, including the Baltic Sea. Three species of Clupea are recognized. The main taxa, the Atlantic herring and the Pacific herring may each be divided into subspecies...
, dogfish
Scyliorhinus
Scylorhinus is a genus of catsharks in the family Scyliorhinidae.-Species:* Scyliorhinus besnardi S. Springer & Sadowsky, 1970 * Scyliorhinus boa Goode & Bean, 1896...
and ling
Common Ling
The common ling or simply the ling, Molva molva, is a large member of the cod family. An ocean fish whose habitat is in the Atlantic region and can be found around Iceland, Faroe Islands, British Isles, the Norse coast and occasionally around Newfoundland, the ling has a long slender body that can...
along with a seventh fish. In a traditional pie, the primary ingredient is the pilchard (sardine)
Sardine
Sardines, or pilchards, are several types of small, oily fish related to herrings, family Clupeidae. Sardines are named after the Mediterranean island of Sardinia, around which they were once abundant....
, although mackerel
Mackerel
Mackerel is a common name applied to a number of different species of fish, mostly, but not exclusively, from the family Scombridae. They may be found in all tropical and temperate seas. Most live offshore in the oceanic environment but a few, like the Spanish mackerel , enter bays and can be...
or herring
Herring
Herring is an oily fish of the genus Clupea, found in the shallow, temperate waters of the North Pacific and the North Atlantic oceans, including the Baltic Sea. Three species of Clupea are recognized. The main taxa, the Atlantic herring and the Pacific herring may each be divided into subspecies...
is used as a substitute. Richard Stevenson, chef at The Ship Inn in Mousehole, suggests that any white fish will work for the filling, with pilchards or herring just added for the presentation. Prior to putting it in the pie the fish should be skinned and boned (except the head and tail), to allow for ease of eating. Along with the fish, the other traditional ingredients are thickened milk
Milk
Milk is a white liquid produced by the mammary glands of mammals. It is the primary source of nutrition for young mammals before they are able to digest other types of food. Early-lactation milk contains colostrum, which carries the mother's antibodies to the baby and can reduce the risk of many...
, eggs and boiled potatoes
Potato
The potato is a starchy, tuberous crop from the perennial Solanum tuberosum of the Solanaceae family . The word potato may refer to the plant itself as well as the edible tuber. In the region of the Andes, there are some other closely related cultivated potato species...
.
Many recipe variations around the traditional ingredients exist, some of which include hard-boiled eggs, bacon
Bacon
Bacon is a cured meat prepared from a pig. It is first cured using large quantities of salt, either in a brine or in a dry packing; the result is fresh bacon . Fresh bacon may then be further dried for weeks or months in cold air, boiled, or smoked. Fresh and dried bacon must be cooked before eating...
, onion
Onion
The onion , also known as the bulb onion, common onion and garden onion, is the most widely cultivated species of the genus Allium. The genus Allium also contains a number of other species variously referred to as onions and cultivated for food, such as the Japanese bunching onion The onion...
, mustard
Mustard (condiment)
Mustard is a condiment made from the seeds of a mustard plant...
or white wine. Other alternatives to the main fish can be crayfish
Crayfish
Crayfish, crawfish, or crawdads – members of the superfamilies Astacoidea and Parastacoidea – are freshwater crustaceans resembling small lobsters, to which they are related...
and rabbit
Rabbit
Rabbits are small mammals in the family Leporidae of the order Lagomorpha, found in several parts of the world...
or mutton. The recipes for the stargazy pie are all topped with a pastry
Pastry
Pastry is the name given to various kinds of baked products made from ingredients such as flour, sugar, milk, butter, shortening, baking powder and/or eggs. Small cakes, tarts and other sweet baked products are called "pastries."...
lid, generally shortcrust
Shortcrust pastry
Shortcrust pastry is a type of pastry often used for the base of a tart or pie. It does not puff up during baking because it usually contains no leavening agent. It is possible to make shortcrust pastry with self-raising flour, however...
but sometimes puff pastry
Puff pastry
In baking, a puff pastry is a light, flaky, leavened pastry containing several layers of fat which is in solid state at 20 °C . In raw form, puff pastry is a dough which is spread with solid fat and repeatedly folded and rolled out and used to produce the aforementioned pastries...
, through which the fish heads and sometimes tails protrude.
For presentation, one suggestion is that the pilchards are arranged with their tails toward the centre of the pie and their heads poking up through the crust around the edge. As it includes potatoes and pastry, the pie can be served on its own or with crusty bread, sometimes with vegetables. Other suggested accompaniments are Cornish Yarg
Yarg
Yarg is a semi-hard cow's milk cheese made in Cornwall, United Kingdom from the milk of Friesian cows. Before being left to mature, this cheese is carefully wrapped in nettle leaves to form an edible, though mouldy, rind. The texture varies from creamy and soft immediately under the nettle coating...
, Rhubarb chutney, poached eggs or a slice of lemon.
The Mousehole Cat
The children's book The Mousehole CatThe Mousehole Cat
The Mousehole Cat is a children's book written by Antonia Barber and illustrated by Nicola Bayley. Based on the legend of Tom Bawcock and the stargazy pie, it tells of a cat who goes with its master on a fishing expedition in rough seas. The book has won awards, including the 1991 British Book...
by Antonia Barber
Antonia Barber
Antonia Barber is an English author of the books for children and adults. Barber resides in Kent and Mousehole, Cornwall. Her award winning book, The Mousehole Cat has been made into an animated film and is being adapted as a stage musical. Her real name is Barbara Anthony...
is inspired by Tom Bawcock's Eve. It is the story of Tom Bawcock and his loyal black and white cat, Mowzer, setting sail to catch the fish. When the boat hits the storm, it is represented by a giant "Storm-Cat", allowing Mowzer to eventually save the day by soothing the storm with her purring. This purring becomes a song and while the Storm-Cat is resting Tom is able to haul in his catch and return to the village. When they arrive back at the village, the entire catch is baked into a "Star-Gazy" pie, on which the villagers feast. Notably, Antonia Barber points out that stargazy pie was a staple of Mousehole diet before Tom's heroic fishing expedition, however, whereas according to tradition it dates from his return and legendary catch.
Great British Menu and Mark Hix
The main course of the second series of the Great British MenuGreat British Menu
Great British Menu is a BBC television series in which top British chefs compete for the chance to cook one course of a four course banquet. The first series banquet was for the Queen on her 80th birthday. The second series was to cook for the British Ambassador to France at the British Embassy...
was won by Mark Hix
Mark Hix
-Career:In April 2008 Hix opened Hix Oyster and Chop House, in the Farringdon area of London. He also opened Hix Oyster & Fish House in Lyme Regis, Dorset and most recently Hix Soho in the West End...
, head chef at The Ivy
The Ivy
The Ivy is a restaurant in West Street, near Covent Garden in London. It opened in 1917 and is popular with celebrities and theatre goers. In 2000, the restaurant was awarded the Moët & Chandon London Restaurant Award for excellence....
in London, with a variation on stargazy pie. Instead of the traditional pilchards, he combined rabbit and crayfish
Crayfish
Crayfish, crawfish, or crawdads – members of the superfamilies Astacoidea and Parastacoidea – are freshwater crustaceans resembling small lobsters, to which they are related...
for the filling, poking some crayfish through the pie crust. As the winning main course, the pie was served along with the other winning courses at an Ambassador's dinner at the British Embassy in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
. Breaking with tradition, the judges also chose his dessert, making him the only chef to have won two separate courses on the show. Mark Hix had previously created a similar version of the dish for a festival aimed at increasing the use of mutton. His mutton and crayfish stargazy pie was made during a festival in 2006, and he served it at his London restaurants for a time.
The Devil and stargazy pie
Another legend surrounding stargazy pie, along with the other unusual pies of Cornwall, is that they were the reason that the DevilDevil
The Devil is believed in many religions and cultures to be a powerful, supernatural entity that is the personification of evil and the enemy of God and humankind. The nature of the role varies greatly...
never came to Cornwall.
In his book Popular romances of the west of England; or, The drolls, traditions, and superstitions of old Cornwall, a collection of Cornish traditions, Robert Hunt
Robert Hunt (scientist)
Robert Hunt , a scientist and antiquarian, was born at Devonport, Plymouth, in the United Kingdom. He was involved in statistical, mineralogical and other studies. He died in London on 17 October 1887.-Early life:...
explains that the Devil crossed the River Tamar
River Tamar
The Tamar is a river in South West England, that forms most of the border between Devon and Cornwall . It is one of several British rivers whose ancient name is assumed to be derived from a prehistoric river word apparently meaning "dark flowing" and which it shares with the River Thames.The...
to Torpoint
Torpoint
Torpoint is a civil parish and town on the Rame Peninsula in southeast Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is situated opposite the city of Plymouth across the Hamoaze which is the tidal estuary of the River Tamar....
. The chapter, entitled "The Devil's Coits, etc", reasons that the Devil discovered the Cornish would put anything in a pie and decided to leave before they took a fancy to a "devilly" pie, returning to Devon
Devon
Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...
.
Other uses
The BBCBBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
miniseries Poldark
Poldark
Poldark is a BBC television series based on the novels written by Winston Graham which was first transmitted in the UK between 1975 and 1977.-Outline:...
featured Cornish couple Demelza and Ross Poldark eating a stargazy pie. Also, the first film written and directed by Charles Dance, Ladies in Lavender
Ladies in Lavender
The film's original music was written by Nigel Hess and performed by Joshua Bell and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. Hess received a Classical BRIT Awards nomination for Best Soundtrack Composer....
, was set in Cornwall and featured a stargazy pie. The dish was also featured on the ITV show, Britain's Best Dish
Britain's Best Dish
Britain's Best Dish is a British daytime cookery show on ITV hosted by Mary Nightingale. Amateur cooks from around the UK compete to cook "Britain's Best Dish" and a prize of £10,000. The judges are Ed Baines, John Burton Race and Jilly Goolden...
. In the children's book, The Lighthouse Keeper's Cat by Ronda and David Armitage, the protagonist's favourite dish is stargazy pie, and he is rewarded with one at the end.
The American rock band, The Silver Seas (under their previous name The Bees U.S.) released an album called Starry Gazey Pie
Starry Gazey Pie
Starry Gazey Pie is the 2004 debut album from the American rock band The Silver Seas. The album's original cover reflected the band's previous name, The Bees , but unlike their second album, High Society , Starry Gazey Pie wasn't reissued on Cheap Lullaby Records in 2007...
. The album and titular track were based upon a recipe in a cookbook which band member Daniel Tashian remembered from his childhood.
A stargazy pie also appears in the film adaptation of James and the Giant Peach
James and the Giant Peach
James and the Giant Peach is a popular children's novel written in 1961 by British author Roald Dahl. The original first edition published by Alfred Knopf featured illustrations by Nancy Ekholm Burkert. However, there have been various reillustrated versions of it over the years, done by Michael...
.