1 cup oil

1 or 2 serrano or jalapeno chiles -- coarsely chopped

1/2 cup cilantro -- coarsely chopped

1 teaspoon salt

4 whole chicken breasts or 4 fish fillets

Beurre blanc: 1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons butter

1/2 medium cucumber, peeled, halved -- and sliced

1/2 cup dry white wine

1 tablespoon shallots -- minced

fresh lime juice -- to taste cilantro, to taste -- coarsely chopped salt and pepper -- to taste

Combine the oil, chiles, chopped cilantro, and salt and marinate the chicken or fish in this mixture for 1 1/2 hours.

Grill the chicken or fish until barely done.

While the chicken cooks, melt 3 tablespoons of the butter in a skillet and cook the cucumber until softened, about 3 minutes. Meanwhile, boil the wine and shallots together in a small saucepan until reduced to 1 tablespoon. Remove the saucepan from the heat and add the remaining butter to the saucepan bit by bit, whisking constantly. Add the softened cucumber and season to taste with lime juice, cilantro, salt and pepper. Serve over the chicken or fish.

Notes: With a little practice, you should be able to make the sauce in the time it takes for the chicken or fish to cook. If you start the sauce ahead of time, keep it warm in a water bath, or reheat it very gently if at all.

This is one of the recipes from the first Cafe Terra Cotta menu. The sauce can be served on chicken or fish as described here, or with pork or veal. The cucumbers add not only a subtle herbaceous taste, but also a crunchy texture, and a beautiful shade of green as they glisten in the buttery sauce.

Submitted to Recipelu by Chelle Gardner. Chelle51@aol.com