classic French cuisine side dish, perfect to accompany meat or fish, especially roasts, Vichy carrots are very simple to prepare and admit several variations to taste. There are times when it is worth letting our fantastic extra virgin olive oil rest to remember that the good butter you can also do magic with vegetables.
Root vegetables and tubers gain a lot in flavor and texture with that creamy, dairy touch of quality butter, and this dish proves it. It was probably not one of the original ingredients of the dish, as it is said to have been created by the Vichy spa chef in the 16th or 17th century, as a complement to the treatments of the thermal waters, using precisely the water of the same.
We have used the most common and basic recipe in today’s French cookbooks, cooking the carrot first in a light mixture of butter with a touch of sugar, and then cooking it with a simple vegetable broth. The thickness of the carrot and the exact point of cooking can be adjusted to taste.
Wash and peel the carrots; cut into not very thick slices and reserve. Heat the butter with the sugar over low heat in a wide saucepan and let both ingredients they melt without roasting. Add the carrots, season with salt and pepper and stir for a couple of minutes.
Add broth to just cover or a little less, depending on whether you prefer more or less sauce at the end. Bring to a boil, lower the power and keep cooking soft about 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Leave at the desired point, making sure that it is not too dry.
If there is a lot of broth, turn up the heat at the end and let it evaporate a little more. Season with salt and pepper and serve with parsley or another finely chopped herb, and the glazed reduced sauce above. They could also be seasoned with garlic powder, ground curry or cumin grains.
With what to accompany Vichy carrots
If you’re a carrot lover you could probably eat a whole bowl with just a bit of bread, but this dish is more for serve as a side dish. It is a perfect match for all kinds of meat, roasted or grilled, and also fish, both white and blue. Of course, we can also serve them with a couple of fried eggs or a French omelette, tofu or some legumes. To give it more packaging It wouldn’t hurt to have some cheese grated on top
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