Mini Chicken and Vegetable Puff Pastry Pies

Preparation

1. 1

   Cut the chicken into small cubes. Finely chop the onion and celery. Melt the butter in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and sauté until softened. Stir in the vegetables and cook for 10 minutes. Add the chicken and mix well.

2. 2

   Sprinkle the flour over the mixture in the pan and stir for 1–2 minutes. Slowly pour in the chicken stock and cooking cream, stirring continuously to prevent lumps from forming. Add the salt, cayenne pepper, nutmeg and parsley. Allow the mixture to simmer gently until the sauce thickens, then remove from the heat and leave to cool slightly.

3. 3

   Preheat the oven to 200 °C and grease a muffin tin. Cut the puff pastry into squares or circles large enough to line the inside of each muffin cup, leaving a little pastry hanging over the edges.

4. 4

   Spoon the cooled chicken filling into the prepared pastry-lined muffin cups. Fold the overhanging pastry edges over the filling, or cut smaller circles from the remaining pastry to use as lids. Join and pinch the edges together with your fingers to seal the pies.

5. 5

   Make a small slit in the top of each pie and lightly brush with milk, then place in the oven. Bake for 15–20 minutes, or until the puff pastry has risen and turned golden brown. Leave the pies to cool in the muffin tin for a few minutes before removing them.