Basil Chicken with Calamansi Lime

I am such a lousy gardener that the only thing that is kinda surviving are my thai basil and pandan plants. But Greg's Aunty Gim Ai is such a wonderful gardener that everything thrives. Just yesterday she gave me a whole bunch of calamansi lime and kedondong straight from her garden.

So, here's another simple recipe that cannot fail. With the tanginess of the basil and refreshing taste of calamansi lime (in Hokkien S'ng Kam), this dish will definitely conjure your senses.

Feed about 4:

1/2 no of big kampung chicken* or 1 medium free range chicken

Seasoned with:
3 tbsp of light soya,
1 tbsp of dark thick soya
1 tbsp of sesame oil
1 teasp of salt and pepper
1 tbsp of chinese cooking wine like hua tiaw
1 med no of brown onion/5-6 no of red shallots, chopped finely
5-6 slices of ginger
5 no of calamansi lime
2-3 tbsp of sugar

* i used this because i had a few huge gorgeous kampung chicken all the way from Sibu. I think you can only get solid looking fellows around that region nowadays. Chickens here no matter what the sellers claim looks sickly and underexcerised. Almost like child abuse!

1) Season chicken for an hour before cooking.

2) Heat up wok/pot with some oil and stir fry onions with ginger till fragrant and light brown. Add basil leaves.

3) This is followed by the chicken without the seasonings. Stir fry till chicken is all coated with basil, ginger and onions.

4) Add 1/3 cup of water to the seasoning and add into the chicken. Bring to a boil and turn to small fire to cook for 35- 45 min depending on your chicken till soft. I pressure cook for 30 min last night but that was overcooking (meat were all falling off the bones). Try pressure cook for 20 min.

5) Finally add sugar and lime, stir and taste for sweetness and sourness.

Get ready your rice or porridge! I still had some left from last night. So tonight will just be steamed prawns and vegies with this.