Coronation pies

Happy Golden Jubilee weekend! Celebrate with these little chicken pies that are fancy enough to hold court at your next tea party! We've still got fresh, free-range chicken available from Mt Barker.

Ingredients

1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion , chopped
2 tbsp medium curry powder
3 tbsp mango chutney
140g cooked chicken breast , diced into chunks
140g soured cream
knob of butter
500g pack shortcrust pastry
flour , for dusting
1 egg , beaten
2 tbsp flaked almonds

Method

Heat the oil in a small frying pan. Cook the onion in the oil until soft, about 5 mins, then stir in the curry powder and cook for 1 min more. Scrape into a mixing bowl and stir in the mango chutney, followed by the chicken and soured cream, then season.
Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Cut 24 strips of baking parchment as wide as the base of your muffin tin and grease one side with a little butter to help them stay in place. Criss-cross 2 into each hole of a 12-hole muffin tin so the edges of the strips stick out – this will help you remove the pies easily once cooked. Thinly roll out three-quarters of the pastry on a lightly floured surface. Stamp out 12 circles big enough to line the holes generously, with a little pastry overhang at the top for sealing.
Divide the chicken filling between the pies. Roll out remaining pastry and cut 12 lids. Top each pie with a pastry lid, press together the edges to seal and roll down any excess pastry to make a lipped-edge. Brush the tops with more beaten egg and scatter with almonds. Poke a fork in each to let the steam out while they cook and bake for 20-25 mins or until golden and cooked through.