A rarity nowadays, but often made in the past, usually with pilchards. The name is obvious from its appearance, for the fish heads stare up at you from the middle of the pie crust. This is another dish with endless variations. Sometimes chopped herbs and spices were used to stuff the fish; sometimes chopped onions and bacon were added together with beaten eggs and cream.
The following version is how I remember it.
Allow 2 fish to each person (if the fish are fairly small). You could alternatively use pilchards, mackerel or herrings.
Clean the fish well, remove all scales and the backbone but leave the heads in place. Boil 2 eggs until they are hard; then slice them. Grease a pie dish and put the fish in it with the heads towards the middle. Add the eggs and salt and pepper. Cover with flaky pastry and make a slit for the heads to come through. Bake in a moderate oven until the pastry is brown and the fish cooked.
There is a story that a stranger from ‘up-country’ was once eating a starry-gazy pie and he complained that the fish’s backbone was exceptionally hard. ‘Let me see, my dear!’ cried the woman, coming forward to the table, ‘Why that edn’ no fish bone at all. That ‘s our little Johnny’s hair comb, what he lost two days ago – careless little emp!’