Vichy carrots

Vichy carrots

Have you ever tried vichy carrots? 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.

Vichy carrots

Get our definitive Christmas dinner menu, including best-ever versions of all the classics.

  • Serves icon Serves 6-8
  • Time icon Hands-on time 10 min. Simmering time 20 min

Have you ever tried vichy carrots? 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.

Get our definitive Christmas dinner menu, including best-ever versions of all the classics.

Nutrition: Per serving (for 8)

Calories
130kcals
Fat
8.7g (5.3g saturated)
Protein
0.7g
Carbohydrates
9.7g (9.2g sugars)
Fibre
4.9g
Salt
0.1g

Before you start

Why these are the best carrots
Very vichy: Throwing some butter into the pan while the carrots cook is a wonderful way to add richness to the vegetables. They absorb the butter as they cook, rendering them sweet and soft rather than waterlogged and limp.

Go for the glaze: Simmering the carrots in a wide, open pan rather than a deeper saucepan means the water can evaporate away quickly, leaving the butter behind – which glazes the carrots towards the end of cooking ((it’s a cheffy French technique, hence the term ‘vichy’).

A bright idea: A pinch of sugar amplifies the carrots’ sweetness, lemon zest and juice gives them a bright tang and the star anise lends a subtle aromatic note which really complements the vegetable.

Before you start

Why these are the best carrots
Very vichy: Throwing some butter into the pan while the carrots cook is a wonderful way to add richness to the vegetables. They absorb the butter as they cook, rendering them sweet and soft rather than waterlogged and limp.

Go for the glaze: Simmering the carrots in a wide, open pan rather than a deeper saucepan means the water can evaporate away quickly, leaving the butter behind – which glazes the carrots towards the end of cooking ((it’s a cheffy French technique, hence the term ‘vichy’).

A bright idea: A pinch of sugar amplifies the carrots’ sweetness, lemon zest and juice gives them a bright tang and the star anise lends a subtle aromatic note which really complements the vegetable.

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
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Method

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.

Nutrition

Nutrition: per serving
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

Recipe By:

Emily Gussin
Food producer and sustainability lead, delicious.

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