FileVault, iCloud, and Recovery Key

I had FileVault turned off for my Mac, and turned it on.

I was given the option to allow iCloud to unlock, OR to use a recovery key which would then not allow iCloud to unlock.

I chose to use iCloud to unlock.

FileVault started to encrypt my disk. Alarmingly, it said that a recovery key had been set, even though I had specifically chosen NOT to use a recovery key, but to use my iCloud account.

It then finished encrypting, having set a recovery key which I didn't ask for.

It never told me what the recovery key was! That's like locking it and literally throwing away the key!

So, apparently, if I forget my Mac password, I can neither reset it using iCloud (as the system chose to use the recovery key despite me not wanting it), nor reset it using the recovery key (as I was never told what the recovery key was.)

I want my data encrypted with FileVault, but I emphatically do NOT want to be permanently locked out of my Mac if I forget my login password.

So how am I supposed to achieve this?