Keshi Yena (Filled Cheese Shells)

Ingredients:

2 cheese shells (hollowed-out cheese rinds)
450g chicken breasts
450g chicken thighs
4 limes
salt and black pepper, to taste
1 onion, grated
2 tbsp poultry seasoning
3 tbsp butter
4l water
2 tsp salt
12 black peppercorns
4 allspice berries
1 onion, chopped
1 celery stick (with leaves), chopped
1 bay leaf
2 tbsp butter
3 tomatoes, blanched, peeled and chopped
4 onions, sliced
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 tbsp flat-leaf parsley, minced
a few drops of Tabasco sauce
salt and black pepper, to taste
2 tbsp tomato ketchup (to tomato purée)
50g pimento olives, sliced
1 tbsp capers, chopped
45g raisins
2 tbsp piccalilli
3 eggs, beaten
2 hard-boiled eggs, chopped

Method:

Skin the chicken then rub liberally with the juice of the limes. Combine the salt, black pepper, grated onion and poultry seasoning and use to season the chicken meat. Place in a bowl, cover and set aside to marinate in the refrigerator for several hours.

After this time, melt the butter in a pan and use to brown the chicken. Transfer the contents of the pan to a large pot and cover with 4l water then add the black peppercorns, allspice berries, onion, celery stick and bayleaf. Bring the mix to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook for about 20 minutes, or until the chicken is just tender. Remove the chicken with a slotted spoon and set aside to cool. Meanwhile, strain the stock and reserve (discard the vegetables and spices).

Once the meat is cool enough to handle debone the meat, chop and set aside. Now melt 2 tbsp butter in a pan and use to fry the tomatoes, onions, green bell pepper, parsley and Tabasco for about 6 minutes, or until the onions are soft. Season to taste with salt and black pepper then stir-in the ketchup, olives, capers, raisins and piccalilli. Stir to combine then add the chopped chicken. Bring to a simmer and cook until the tomatoes have released their juices and are beginning to reduce (about 25 minutes). Take off the heat and set aside to cool.

Heat water in a pan and place a steaming basket on top (or use a Chinese bamboo steamer in a wok). Add the beaten eggs to he meat mix (but reserve 6 tbsp of the beaten egg). Now stir-in the hard-boiled eggs into the meat mix.

Add 3 tbsp of the reserved beaten egg into the cheese shells. Fill to the top with the meat mix then arrange so they stand up in the steaming basket. Cover the top of the cheese shells either with another piece of cheese shell or with cheese slices. Cover with a lid and steam for about 75 minutes. Transfer the keshi yena to a warmed plate and serve. Do not allow to cool, or the cheese will become hard and unappetizing.