Vichy carrots
- Published: 28 Oct 24
- Updated: 28 Oct 24
This classic French technique is our favourite way to cook carrots, whatever the time of year. It’s particularly good at Christmas – especially when you add star anise, thyme and lemon to give the dish a bright sweetness.
Serve alongside these golden rosemary roast potatoes.
Before you start
Simmering carrots in butter as well as water is a simple way to add richness. They absorb the butter as they cook, becoming sweet and soft. Simmering in a wide, open pan means the water evaporates quickly, leaving the butter behind, which glazes the carrots towards the end of cooking (it’s a cheffy French technique, hence the term ‘vichy’). The lemon zest and juice give them a wonderful bright tang to finish.
Ingredients
- 2 star anise
- 1kg carrots, scrubbed and cut into 4-5cm batons
- 80g unsalted butter
- Pinch caster sugar
- Finely grated zest and juice 1 lemon
- Thyme leaves to sprinkle, plus extra to garnish
Method
- Set a large frying pan or sauté pan over a medium heat. Add the star anise and toast for about a minute until fragrant. Add the carrots, butter, sugar and lemon zest, plus a good pinch of salt. Pour in enough water to almost cover the carrots.
- Bring to the boil and simmer briskly, stirring every now and then, for 15-20 minutes until all the water has evaporated, the carrots are just tender and they’re coated in a buttery glaze.
- Squeeze in half the lemon juice and scatter over the thyme leaves. Stir, then transfer to a serving dish. Garnish with more thyme and serve with the remaining lemon half.
- Recipe from November 2024 Issue
Nutrition
- Calories
- 130kcals
- Fat
- 8.7g (5.3g saturated)
- Protein
- 0.7g
- Carbohydrates
- 9.7g (9.2g sugars)
- Fibre
- 4.9g
- Salt
- 0.1g
Buy ingredients online
Rate & review
Rate
Reviews
Subscribe to our magazine
Food stories, skills and tested recipes, straight to your door... Enjoy 5 issues for just £5 with our special introductory offer.
SubscribeUnleash your inner chef
Looking for inspiration? Receive the latest recipes with our newsletter