Recipe from Patrick as part of e-mail exchange of 20 Feb ’12 regarding Driver.

Just made chicken, mashed potatoes, flat green beans. It’s so easy, you should try it.

-Sear a chicken breast on both sides In hot oil and butter (I use ghee)
-turn down the heat by half, drop in either onions or (I prefer) shallots on all sides of the chicken
here I added a few pieces of ginger root (I always keep some in the kitchen, it lasts forever)
-when they start to turn golden, pour in a cup or so of white wine.
-bring the whole thing to a boil, and when about half the wine is evaporated, turn the heat down and simmer with a lid.

-meanwhile you are bringing to a boil a quart or more of water with lots of salt, maybe a tablespoon? the salt accents the color, revives the color if the beans have begun to glower a bit.

when the water comes to a boil, throw in the flat beans – I cut them into pieces less than 2 inches – and time them for 5 minutes (only 3 minutes if you use normal green beans), then drain when the timer goes off, so they don’t absorb too much of the salt.

-I used potato purée from a box on this occasion.
just bring the water to a boil, turn off the heat. stir in the purée, add salt and pepper, a little butter, stir and cover to keep warm till the beans are ready, then

Turn off the chicken. Serve the beans and mashed, then lay down the chicken and pour the sauce over the chicken, and maybe the potatoes.

It was delicious, if I say so myself. Wish you were here to taste it. Now for stewed apples, already done this morning, with Greek yoghurt.

Tonight my freshly made (last night) macaroni with ragu sauce, which I think you tried when you were here?

Food is swiftly become a friend, and I will go happily belly up!

How’re you feeling – less cruddy, I trust?

Pappy (used to yoke ’em)

Patrick

Patrick Meadows 1934 – 2017.