Ingredients
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- FOR THE CRUST:
- 2 1/4 cups flour, plus more for dusting
- 1 tsp. kosher salt
- 1 tsp. mustard powder, preferably Coleman’s
- 12 tbsp. unsalted butter, cubed and chilled
- 6 tbsp. ice-cold water mixed with a pinch of crushed saffron threads (very optional TFD addition of saffron, omit for original)
- ***
- FOR THE FILLING:
- 6 slices bacon, cut into 1” pieces
- 2 tbsp. unsalted butter
- 1/2 medium yellow onion, finely-chopped
- Equal amount chopped white part of leek, (well rinsed) to the chopped onion (TFD optional change, replace with onion for original)
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed (optional TFD addition, omit for original)
- 2 Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and diced
- 1/2 cup chicken stock
- 1/4 cup crème fraîche
- 3 Tbsp. dry apple cider, alcoholic (TFD addition, likely used in original 16th century recipe, replace with crème fraîche if you prefer)
- 2 tbsp. English mustard, such as Colman’s
- 1 Tbsp. finely-chopped tarragon (TFD change, original was parsley)
- 1 Tbsp. finely-chopped chervil (TFD change, original was parsley)
- 1 Tbsp. fennel pollen (optional TFD addition, omit for original)
- 1 egg, beaten
- Kosher salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste
- 4 fresh sardines, cleaned, heads attached
- 3/4 lb. cod or flounder fillets, chopped
- 1/4 lb. pickled herring fillets in cream sauce, chopped (TFD optional addition, replace with Portuguese sardines, Latvian sprats or use more cod or flounder or add 2 extra whole sardines to poke out the top of the pie)
- 3 eggs, hard-boiled, peeled, and sliced
- ***
- 1 egg beaten with 1 Tbsp. whole milk to glaze pie
Instructions
- Make the crust: Whisk flour, mustard, and salt in a bowl. Using a dough blender, two forks, or your fingers, cut butter into flour mixture, forming pea-size crumbles.
- Add saffron water; work dough until smooth but with visible flecks of butter. (Alternatively, pulse ingredients in a food processor.)
- Divide dough in half and flatten into disks. Wrap disks in plastic wrap; chill 1 hour before using.
- Make the filling: Heat bacon in a 4-qt. saucepan over medium-high heat; cook until slightly crisp, 5–7 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer bacon to paper towels to drain. Add butter, potato, garlic, leek and onion to pan; cook until golden, 5–7 minutes.
- Remove from heat; whisk in stock, crème fraîche, mustard, cider, tarragon, chervil, cider, fennel pollen, the beaten egg, and salt; set aside.
- Assemble and bake the pie: Preheat oven to 400°. On a lightly-floured surface, roll 1 disk of dough into a 12” round. Fit into a 9” pie plate; trim edges, leaving 1” dough overhanging edge of plate.
- Arrange sardines in a clocklike pattern (at 12, 3, 6 and 9:00) with the heads resting along the edge of the crust. Pour filling over sardines; top with reserved bacon, the cod or flounder pieces, the pickled herring (or sardines or sprats), the hard-boiled eggs, salt, and pepper.
- Roll remaining disk of dough into a 12” round; cut 4 1” slits in dough about 2” from the edge (if using the two extra whole sardines, cut six slits instead). Place over top of pie and pull sardine heads through slits. Pinch top and bottom edges together and fold under; crimp edges.
- If you have any extra scarps of dough, roll them out and cut them into star shapes and decorate the op of the pie with them – six is traditional.
- Brush with egg wash and cut three 1”-long slits in top of pie; bake until crust is golden and filling is bubbling, 35–40 minutes. Let cool slightly before serving.