Stewed cucumbers and brown shrimp

This is an elegant, warm salad that plays on the flavours of traditional potted shrimp. Cooked cucumber recipes are relatively common in older cookbooks but seldom seen these days. I find their texture particularly pleasing – a slippery delight. The pairing of cucumbers and seafood is indisputable so this dish is an easy match.

This works well with most shellfish – the orange flesh of mussels would look (as well as taste) particularly fine against the pale green. In this instance leave out the nutmeg. The dish would also act as a good accompaniment to flat fish, such as sole.