Butter-Braised Cucumbers with Dill

From the garden

• 3 large cucumbers, peeled, seeded, cut into batons · big seedy ones are what this dish is for
• 1 small shallot, minced
• 2 tbsp fresh dill, chopped

From the pantry

• 3 tbsp butter
• ¼ cup heavy cream
• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar · for the salting step
• ¼ tsp granulated sugar
• salt · to taste
• black pepper

1. Peel the cucumbers, halve them lengthwise, and scrape the seed core out with a teaspoon. Cut the flesh into batons about 2 inches long and half an inch thick.
2. Toss the batons in a colander with the vinegar, sugar, and a teaspoon of salt, and leave them to drain 20 minutes. Shake off the liquid and pat dry: drawing the water out now is what keeps a braised cucumber from turning to soup.
3. Melt the butter in a wide skillet over medium heat and soften the shallot 2 minutes, without letting it take on color.
4. Add the cucumbers and cook 5–7 minutes, tossing now and then, until they turn from chalky white to faintly translucent and give under a knife tip while still holding their shape. Cucumber goes slack quickly, so pull them a shade early.
5. Pour in the cream and simmer 2 minutes, until it clings rather than pools. Fold in the dill off the heat, grind over pepper, taste for salt, and serve hot beside roast chicken, salmon, or lamb.