Sea-pie is a layered meat pie made with meat or fish,[1] and is known to have been served to British sailors during the 18th century.
[2] Its popularity was passed on to the New England colonies sufficiently to be included in Amelia Simmons's landmark 1796 book American Cookery.
[3] Sea-pie is made by lining a saucepan or pot with a thick layer of pastry, and then filling the pot with alternating layers of meat (such as pork, beef, fish, or pigeon) or stew, and vegetables; and, topping the layered ingredients with pastry.
There is no set list of ingredients; rather, sea-pie is made with whatever meat and vegetables are on-hand at the time it is made.
It contains no fish or other seafood, but moose, partridge, hare, beef, veal, pork, and chicken (or a simpler combination of these).