When it comes to unusual and unappetizing-looking Christmas dishes, there are few meals out there that can compete with the Stargazy Pie, a pie with fish heads protruding through the crust, appearing to be gazing skyward.

England is home to a variety of pies, from classics like apple pie and pork pie, to less known treats like steak and ale pie, or pot pie. But none of these pastry treats hold a candle to the famous Stargazy Pie, when it comes to wow factor. No matter how elaborate your pie design is, you just can’t beat half a dozen cooked sardine heads (and sometimes tails) sticking out from the hearty dough crust, looking towards the sky. It looks almost as “delicious” as Japan’s alien dumplings, doesn’t it?

Photo: Krista/Flickr

So why would anyone ever think that sticking fish heads in a pie was a good idea? Well, if you believe the legend behind Stargazy Pie, it was actually born out of necessity. The story goes that one winter, sometime in the 16th century, the weather was so bad that the people of Mousehole, in Cornwall, couldn’t go out to sea to fish, and were facing starvation. Luckily, a local hero stepped up to save everyone.

Tom Bawcock, a local fisherman got into his boat and out into the stormy sea when no one else dared to, and he came back with a legendary catch encompassing seven types of fish ( sand eels, horse mackerel, pilchards, herring, dogfish, ling, a a seventh, unknown fish). Legend has it that the entire catch was baked into a giant pie, with the fish heads poking through the crust to prove that there were fish inside.

Bawcock’s feat has allegedly been celebrated every 23rd of December, at the The Ship Inn, in Mousehole, for hundreds of years. The yearly celebration, known as Tom Bawcock’s Eve, draws crowds to the local inn, where a giant Stargazy Pie is served to patrons for free.

But Tom Bawcock’s Eve isn’t the only time Stargazy Pie is made. There are plenty of variations of the pie that many chefs make, and it was even the winning dish on the 2007 season of the BBC’s Great British Menu show.

The main ingredient of Stargazy Pie is the pilchard (sardine), but mackerel or herring is sometimes used as a substitute. Some cooks believe that any white fish will work for the filling, but the sardine heads sticking out are essential for the presentation.

Stargazy Pie consists of a filling made from various types of fish baked with an herb mix and lemon zest. The whole thing is mixed with grated eggs, mashed potatoes and cream, and covered with a layer of Cornish pastry. The heads and tails are then stuck mouth-upwards into the pie, and the whole thing is cooked into the oven.

While some people simply add the pilchard heads merely as a decoration, some cooks claim that adding the whole fish makes the Stargazy Pie even better. Apparently, the horizontal position of the fish allows the oil it releases during cooking to drain into the pie, making it moist and more flavorful.