Student cookbook: Fried chicken with green beans and garlic

A great way to jazz up cheap chicken using simple ingredients. Serves: 4 Cooking time: 20 mins 1 tbsp olive oil A good slice of butter (about 25g) 4 chicken breasts, with or without skin 4 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely sliced 2 tbsp wine vinegar A mug of chicken or vegetable stock (made with 1 tsp bouillon powder or ½ a stock cube) Small pack of fine green beans or 100g thawed frozen beans Salt, pepper and chilli powder (optional) Season the chicken breasts well with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a frying pan, and add the butter when it's hot. Place the chicken breasts in the pan skin side (or what would have been skin side) down and fry over a moderate heat for 5 minutes until nicely browned. Lower the heat then turn the chicken pieces over and scatter the sliced garlic around them. Cook until the garlic begins to soften and change colour, then add the vinegar. When that has evaporated, add half the stock and carry on cooking, adding more stock or water if the dish gets dry. Meanwhile, cook the beans in a separate saucepan, or the microwave, until tender. Once the chicken is cooked remove it from the pan and set aside. Spoon off any excess fat and add a little more stock or water. Check the seasoning, adding salt, pepper and a pinch of chilli powder to fire it up, then toss the beans in the garlicky juices. Serve the chicken with the beans. Tip: If you have any white wine or sherry use that in place of the vinegar and stock.