I had sea pie once just the other day. Couldn’t believe someone just left one of those out on the back porch.

One thing I learned in Newfoundland is that fishermen crave anything but fish when they return home: steak, spaghetti, or ham but no fish!

There is a dish called "Sjömansbiff" in Scandinavia - literally "Sailors' steak". It is also made in layers, in a pot, and boiled. You make it by slicing potatoes and onions and layer them with thinly sliced beef (or ground beef in Denmark). Season well with salt, allspice and freshly ground pepper. Cover with water and boil until done. So the whole "layering things and boil it" was used on ships all over, I guess. Top class content, as always. Thank you!

This man is the Bob Ross of the cooking world.

I just realized that pie crusts were actually the “covering” for food. With no foil and plastic wrap the crust sealed the food.

I can only imagine how excited sailors were to reach land and have something fresh and unboiled to eat

Fun fact: this dish is known in Quebec as "cipaille" which is pronounced pretty much the same as "sea-pie". I never knew but upon research it seems like it really is derived from English "sea-pie", but there's some folk etymologies about it coming from "six-pâtes" as in six layers of dough.

Your raccoon lesson was one of the first ones we learned when we moved to our farm. Where we previously live we used the back deck as overflow refrigeration during winter. At our farm, this practice didn’t survive the first try. By the way, opossums and skunks have zero fear of humans at night and are really good at making off with food as well.

Adding some potato, carrots, peas, and onion to that would be amazing. Layering the dough inside is a great idea, pie crust is my favorite part of savory pies.

Your stolen pie story is pretty funny. I'm surprised you were surprised! If we need to store anything, as in using outdoors as a refrigerator, it goes in the trunk of the car - between squirrels, raccoons, and groundhogs, we will lose anything left out.

I made one of these a couple years ago for a Napoleonic era naval dinner with friends. It weighed in at eleven pounds; stuffed with two decks of pork, beef steak, chicken based force meat, with vegetables and spices in a raised coffin (which I researched on your channel). It was an awesome experience, and much enjoyed by our gathering. Thank you for your inspirational video during the trial of preparing my culinary behemoth! All my best...

The Aubrey-Maturin series of books is one of the best historical fiction stories ever! It is amazing to see the foods described in them come to life on your channel!

@4:35, I can almost hear Chef John say "having fun is a must, if you're the captain of your crust"

When the Mary Rose was raised from the Solent in 1982 one of the mysteries they found was a huge pile of bricks on one of her lower decks. Eventually, via archaelogy and experimental archaeology, they worked out that these bricks had originally been an onboard oven, for baking bread and for the serious cooking of foodstuffs. Mary Rose sank in 1545, so if Tudor-era English sailors knew how to bake on board a wooden ship, I'm sure the sailors of the British Colonies - and the Americas - could do it too.

I was raised on this. As a french acadian this was and still is our traditional Christmas meal

Interesting how this looks a great deal like a proto-type for a modern "pot pie"

This was fascinating to see how creative the cooks were onboard ships. An interesting option to consider when camping and you want to be a little creative with the campfire. It seems that you can use a wide variety of ingredients for the pie.

A sea pie has as much sea in it as a Shepherd's pie has shepherds in it.

In Quebec, we have something similar called "Cipâtes" or "Cipaille" (same thing, you just mix it all with cut potatoes and onions). Traditionnaly, we eat it during the winter holidays. It goes best with ketchup. Another awesome video by the way and a nice holiday to you all !!! 🐧

These videos are so informative and wholesome and well-made. While it is many years off, when I do have kids I plan on showing them all of these videos.

My french Canadian mother makes this dish. Cipaille (Sea Pie) an old French recipe.

As much as I like crust, I think Simmons' suggestion to sprinkle the layers of meat with flour as an alternate to the interior crust sound better and with the added water you gave a nice gravy too.

I was surprised to see how well that crust turned out!! I honestly thought it would be a bit mushy. Throw some gravy in that, with potatoes, and peas and carrots, you've got yourself a feast!!

When I was a Peace Corp volunteer living in a hut with no electricity we made steam bread. Similar except that the bread bowl was NOT covered with water. There was just a couple of inches of water in the big pot. The top was very moist and inside the bread was a lovely spongy texture. I liked it. Not as much as baked bread, but it worked when there was no other option. Thanks for this video. It took me back to the days....

Hello everyone, For all of the Aubrey and Maturin fans out there, I would recommend a cookbook called Lobscouse and Spotted Dog. All of the recipes in the novels have been recreated to the best of the authors ability. A very good companion to the novels, which are, in my opinion, some of the best literature of the Twentieth Century. All the best Sam

"Give me a cup of tea, Babbington, there's a good fellow. My fingers are too numb to turn the tap." "The tea has gone by the board, sir. Would coffee do?" "Anything, anything, so long as it is warm and wet. Is there any sea-pie left?" They showed him the empty dish. "Why, here's a pretty thing," he cried. "All night on deck, and no sea-pie." --H.M.S. Surprise by Patrick O'Brian

I love the Patrick O'Brian series too! There is a fan book out there: "Lobscouse & Spotted Dog" by Anne Chotzzinoff and Lisa Grossman Thomas "Which it's a Gastronomic Companion to the Aubrey/Maturin Novels" that folks might be interested in. It has recipes for all the things they eat in the book series.

For anyone interested the Aubrey and Maturin book series he mentions had its first book adapted into the movie "Master and Commander" which is pretty popular but few people seem to know its based on a book series, Id recommend you check it out if you liked the movie, its a long series but the books are relatively short.

I've been going through tough times recently and your channel has been a light in the darkness. Every night I turn on a few videos and instantly feel comfort. Thank you for putting out such consistent and enjoyable content.

Reminds me of a French Canadian layered meat pie called cipaille - pronounced phonetically as sea-pie. Makes me wonder if both these dishes had a common origin.

Did they never have ovens on ships? I remember reading about the superiority of ships with a bread oven on one of the lowest decks. Supposedly the heat of it warmed the ship, helped evaporate bilgewater, and improved morale. It let fresh bread be baked daily, bringing sacks of flour rather than hardtack. Was that just a suggestion?

I think the classical and old world nature of your videos are wonderful. I hope you keep posting them for a long time. I now watch two different cooking shows on youtube and yours is one. Exceptional to keep the old world alive. It's almost as exciting as it is calming.

I went on a see food diet when I quit smoking.

I’ve read the Aubrey-Maturin series by Patrick O’Brien and have wanted to see an authentic sea pie for ages. Thank you for making this video! I will be making my own Sea pie later this winter, when it’s good and cold.

I still can't belief that nobody on the west actually figured out steaming back then. All you need is a simple stone, and 2 pots of different size. Put the stone on the bottom of the larger pot, put the smaller pot containing the food to be cooked, add some water just midline the smaller pot, and boil. So simple, and this recipe even came incredibly close to doing it if they add much less water, yet somehow it's not done.

"Ar Bandit me matey, we gots a sea pie to share." "Off to the woods with it then, Rocky me pal!"

This is the most fascinating channel I've ever come across.

Being from Fort Wayne, I can attest to Indiana racoons having a very discerning palate.

Sounds an awful lot like a British savoury "pudding" or dumpling" pie, the most famous of which would be a "steak & kidney pudding" [or Baby's Heads/Heids depending on the part of the country you're from]. Though those are usually steamed & not boiled & have the addition of suet to the pastry; both of which make it lighter & less soggy. On reflection the fact that you immersed it fully in the water makes it closer to a "rag pudding" which predate the use of a ceramic bowl and were wrapped in a cloth [cloot - where we get the name of my childhood favourite, a "clootie dumpling]. If you fancy trying one of those look up a "Buckingham Bacon Badger". There's no badger in it [though you could cook those thieving raccoons], its thought the name badger refers to an old term for a Trade Dealer [especially one that sold flour].

Here in Quebec (Canada) we call it Cipaille (pronounced Sea Pie) even amounts of beef, chicken and pork mixed with onions and layered with potatoes (ex: 3 lbs of meat for 3 lbs of potatoes) the meat is seasoned with concentrated chicken bouillon, line a Creuset baking dish with pie crust, layer meat and potatoes cover with pie dough fill it up with chicken bouillon (mixed accordindly with water) pop on the cover and in the oven for about 5-6 hours making sure it stays wet (adding bouillon mix), our feast every Xmas eve, Cheers!!!!!!!!

I am impressed with those pie-making skills.

Bryson Quebec has it's own sea pie (cipaille) festival. Very serious business up there.

Love this channel, I definitely watch it more during this time of year.

Love the Aubrey-Maturin series! I've read them three or four times and use them as reference books for the novel I'm writing. Thanks for these informative and creative series of videos!

Racoon approved! When you said you left it outside I immediately thought "what ate it?"

I love that story of the raccoons - thieves of the forest...clearly it's a great dish!

Thanks for the shout out to my favourite book series of all time! I've always wanted to know what a sea-pie looked, smelt and tasted like too, and now I am inspired to try my own hand at it. So far, syllabub is about as far as I've gotten in preparing recipes popular in the 18th century, sea-pie is next for sure!

Just made one of these pups. I added onions to the top layer of chicken and baked at 350 for an hour and ten minutes as I don’t have a pot big enough to boil it. If you guys take the notion to try it out, you will not be disappointed! Hearty and delicious. Don’t be afraid to salt that bad boy though! If I learned one lesson, it’s that without a healthy dose of salt, it teeters towards blandness. But even so, you can always add a dash on your plate, and Bob’s your uncle! Enjoy! Thanks for this awesome video!

Raccoons stole 2 cans of cat food off my porch the other night. Apparently they figured out the built-in openers on the cans. They are dextrous and smart, and they do clean everything up beautifully!

I first watched you channel after looking for the food from Aubrey/Maturin novels many years ago. I love all your videos but I still enjoy the "naval" ones the most. Thank you for your great work and stay save in these difficult times.

This is inspiring. My boat actually does have a (small) oven but I'm thinking I need to find a way to incorporate a recipe like this into my own repertoire while underway. Even if it ends up being a multilayer pot pie in the aforementioned oven!

The image of four little bandits sitting around, sharing this pie makes my day.

Jon, the Racoons said to give you 5* and big thanks!

Racoons be like: "Guys, remember the legendary meats pie our ancestors enjoyed 300 years ago? I think we found it! Let's take it, for historical reasons..."

Love love love your videos. Your passion, your voice, your excitement all adds to a wonderful experience. When I was a civil war reenactor I used recipes from that era. I am an accomplished cook and half the fun of Olde recipes was decoding the language used. Fortunately 19th century isn't as far removed at 17th century, but I understand completely your passion. Thank you for making and sharing these glimpses into the past.

I've had to adapt to a primal/keto diet but I still watch Townsends regularly because I love the vibe, the history and the recipes. This is such a great channel.

'SELDOM WAS SUCH A FINE PACKAGE SEEN in our Officer's Mess!' The Wardroom voted a round of Grog for the cook!

I've never heard of a pie like that before. I'd imagine the pie crust is like dumpling dough, in that fashion. The pie does look really good. Also, the raccoons have great taste in food. Cheers!

Jon, I had a similar experience one Thanksgiving with a pumpkin pie I had set out to cool on our back deck. Went out to get it a couple hours later...and all that was left was the aluminum pie plate, clean as a whistle. Not a crumb!

John, your honesty (and sense of humor) about you missing test-pie is wonderful. We all know that sh!t happens sometimes - and all you can do is shrug it off and move forward. 🙃 Love the channel (and the recipes), BTW!

I love this KZfaq channel. Someone ate your pie! Merry Christmas to the raccoons! 🤣🎁🎄

Now, based off of your historical knowledge of this dish and how it was made back in the day, do you think that the raccoons who stole your piecrust were actually levitated towards it on the scent wafting through the woods?

As always, an amazing video.

The pie was good Mr. Jon...but needs nutmeg ~ Raccoon Federation

There's a flavor combination in Chinese cooking called "Fish Fragrant" and it has no fish. It is often used on fish though. I'm guessing the sea pie is made for the sea. Edit: called it!

Fascinating as always! Can't wait to try my own "spin" on this the next time I go camping.

"Let's see if we can get some put of here for us" Such a weird sentence for one man to say to a camera

Really interesting. Have you tried 'Scotch coffee'? It's burnt bread boiled in water and sweetened with sugar but it was apparently a common and much despised mixture served on Royal Naval ships in the 18th and early 19th century. Doesn't sound great but could be interesting.

I have made this dish. In the local French it is "chiapelle" which sounds like "sea pie". They still have a festival featuring it. I cooked mine in a dutch oven over charcoal. The center of the pie is filled with broth/water, so it almost boils from the inside out. I imagine the recipe evolved differently in different places. Thank you for sharing your recipe with us. Stay safe and stay warm

As a lover of a traditional northern meat pudding, I am definitely a fan of this, I loved steamed piecrust and any doughy kinds of food. This looks so good!

this channel is pure gold !!! . so relax so pure

Great show. Man what a recipe, seems like you could put any of your leftovers in and make a new meal.

I have to admit, as a seafood lover I was a bit disappointed that this did not contain seafood. Nevertheless, it's another interesting look at life at sea in the 18th century! Thanks!

I've never made one of your recipes but your smile is infectious

Your channel is a joy. Thanks for the infotainment. :)

Townsend, since the Christmas season is coming up, I was wondering what the parents would give the children for Christmas gifts in the 18th century? (Video idea possibly??)

Those raccoons probably never ate so well before in their lives. A feast to remember!

I so enjoy watching these recipes, but as someone with celiac's disease, I have yet to find a gluten free simple pie crust that will hold up to the kind of cooking you can do with wheat. so I just savor my memories of the taste of a really good crust. enjoy your delicious looking pie!

Thanks for another great video!

I had thought 'seapie' was a reference to 6 layers, roughly what 6 would sound like in French. When I made mine about 7 years ago, I used salt beef, salt pork, and chicken. 3 layers of meat and 3 of paste.

It reminds me of a suet beef pudding that we still have in the UK.

Thanks you so much Mr. Townsends for all your knowledge you pour out to us viewers

Your encouragement, and the wholesome Celtic fiddle is just so awesome. I feel like I can make a good pie crust. Especially, because that’s a recipe I tend to avoid the most. Thank you 😊

HEYYYYY! Was looking for food videos to eat while on lunch and you just uploaded haha 🙏🏼

You're not supposed to feed the wildlife, John 🤣 Glad you at least found the dishes

I just love watching this channel while I'm eating

Great show! I will be trying this soon.

Roll on, John. This is similar to a pie I've made when camping, over the many years of my life. Keep on keeping the traditions alive, my man! :)

I just love your genuine enthusiam when you taste this dish! Great story about the racoons too.

When I inherited my great grandma's recipes (cooking and cleaning), many of her units of measurement were quite different than I'm used to. It was fun looking them up though. She used drams in most everything.

When he's eating the pie, I was hoping a raccoon was going to look in the window behind him to see if he can pinch another bit of pie.

This was a really interesting recipe, especially since I've always wondered how they'd cooked anything while at sea during this time period I'll definitely have to try this recipe out for myself

In Québec, we have a similar dish that is called « cipaille », which is pronounced exactly like “sea pie” but in French.

That actually looks amazing! Love you channel. 👍🏻

The Sea Pie derived from Cipaille in french or Cipâte are still very popular in Québec.

Never thought I'd be so interested in 18th century food but here I stand corrected and I'm thankful for it.

I thought your story about the missing pie was going to end with you sleep eating it all yourself. I'm not disappointed at the ending, but I really wanted for you just to say you wolfed the thing down.

I boiled a turkey dinner with a half of turkey and dressing stuffed under the leg and breast area. No water added just a rack in large pot, drippings were awesome for gravy.

A great tip with this type of pie is to let the pie rest for a while, then the mix will set inside and create a beautiful slice.

Chopped apples would be delicious layered with these meats. TFS!