Ingredients

• 1 small cucumber
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp caster sugar
• 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
• 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 125ml/4fl oz fish stock or white wine
• 1 tbsp crème fraîche
• 1 tbsp wholegrain mustard
• 50g/2oz unsalted butter
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 4 x 200g/7oz monkfish tails
• 25ml/1fl oz olive oil
• knob of butter
• 1 tbsp lemon juice

Directions

• For the cucumber
• peel and thinly slice the cucumber and place in a colander.
• Mix it with the salt and press for an hour. Place a small plate or lid on the cucumber and put a heavy jar or can on top of that and set colander over a bowl to drain.
• After a half-hour or so
• squeeze as much liquid as possible from the cucumber and place in a bowl.
• In a separate bowl mix together the sugar
• vinegar and black pepper. Toss the cucumber slices in the vinegar mixture
• coating well.
• For the sauce
• heat the stock
• crème fraîche and mustard together then whisk in the butter piece by piece. Finally add the lemon juice.
• For the monkfish
• drizzle the monkfish fillets with olive oil. Heat a frying pan until hot
• then add the fillets.
• Add a knob of butter and continue to fry until the fish is cooked.
• Squeeze over the lemon juice on the cooked fish.
• Place the fish onto warmed serving plates along with the cucumber and sauce.