French Glazed Carrots (Carottes Vichy)

This is how JB makes Glazed Carrots, the French way – carrot coins gently cooked in water, butter, salt and just a small amount of sugar until it reduces down into a glaze. Called Carrotes Vichy or Carottes Glacées, it’s simple, elegant and far less sugary than the usual glazed carrots!

French Glazed Carrots – Carottes Vichy

Another day, another French cooking lesson from JB! Today it’s a simple glazed carrot dish called Carottes Vichy, which he tells me is one of the first things he learnt at Chef school. It’s a French classic made in homes and served everywhere from bistros to fine dining restaurants.

It’s made by gently cooking sliced carrot rounds with water, butter, a small amount of sugar and salt until the carrots are tender and the liquid reduces to become a shiny buttery glaze. They are far less sweet than the usual glazed carrots which use considerably more sugar or honey, more delicate and more elegant.

I especially like that the carrots aren’t boiled then drained so all that lovely carrot flavour stays in the pan, concentrated into the buttery glaze rather than tipped down the sink!

What you need to make French Glazed Carrots (Carottes Vichy)

Here’s what you need to make these carrots. Both JB and I agree that if there’s one vegetable worth buying organic, it’s carrots. They’re usually not that much more expensive, but the flavour is noticeably better – sweeter, more carroty and just so much nicer!

• Carrots – 800 g / 1.75 lb of carrots which we will peel and slice into rounds.

• Sugar – Just 4 teaspoons, a fraction of the amount usually used which is usually closer to 1/4 cup for the same amount of carrots!

• Butter – This is a French recipe. You really didn’t expect to see olive oil here, did you?? (Though, you can if you want. 🙂 Shhh!! Don’t tell JB I told you that!)

• Salt – We use cooking salt / kosher salt, so if you’re using table salt (which is much finer), use half the amount. If you’re using flakes (which are lighter – and more expensive!), increase the amount listed by 50%.

• Water – To gently braise the carrots.

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How to make French Glazed Carrots (Carottes Vichy)

I’m going to use the fancy-sounding word “cartouche” in these steps, but it’s just a piece of paper placed over the simmering carrots that helps them cook gently and evenly, and works better than a lid. But if, for whatever reason, you’re wildly opposed to spending the 27 seconds it takes to cut one, you can use a lid instead – but the carrots take about 10 minutes longer and don’t cook quite as evenly. (Yep, we tried. We had to know!) 🙂

1. Cut cartouche – This is just a round piece of paper cut to fit in the pan and sit directly on top of the carrots. It traps steam right against the carrots so they cook quickly and evenly, while allow just enough liquid to evaporate so the liquid reduces down into a glaze.

   To make a cartouche (27 seconds!) – Tear off a sheet of baking paper slightly larger than the size of the pan. Fold it in half diagonally, then in half again, and keep folding to make a long pointy triangle. Hold the point over the centre of the pan, snip the paper where it reaches the edge, then unfold – voilà! A circle that fits neatly in the pan! (PS This is how I line cake pans too!). It doesn’t need to be a perfect circle, it just needs to cover the surface of the liquid and carrots.

2. Slice carrots – Peel then slice the carrots into 6mm / 0.2″ rounds. (Use the carrot peel for vegetable stock!)

3. Bring carrots to simmer – Place a large, 30cm / 12″ deep pan over medium high heat. Add water, butter, sugar, salt and bring it to a boil. Add the sliced carrots, stir well and turn the heat down to a simmer on medium heat.

4. Cartouche – Place the cartouche on top so it’s touching the liquid and carrots.

5. Simmer for 15 minutes or until all the water has evaporated and you’re left with a shiny glaze coating on the carrots. The carrots should be very soft (handle gently!) and they should not be browned.

6. Parsley – Remove the cartouche, add the parsley and gently stir until the carrots are coated in the butter glaze.

7. Serve – Gently pour into a serving bowl and serve!

How to serve French Glazed Carrots (Carottes Vichy)

Without a word of a lie, I had a giant bowl of these glazed carrots for lunch. They are so good. Not so sweet that you feel like you’re eating candy, but just sweet enough to feel special, and so delicately tender they almost melt in your mouth.

But if you’re a normal person looking for ideas on what to serve them with, they’re a natural side for roast chicken (try JB’s French Roast Chicken!), steak, pork chops or fish. They’re also a handy stovetop side dish when the main is hogging the oven – think Crackling Pork Roast, Prime Rib or Beef Tenderloin.

Really, anywhere you’d ordinarily serve carrots, these will do the job – just with a little more French flair. I’m thoroughly besotted with them! Thanks for another great recipe, JB. – Nagi x

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Watch How To Make It

Life Of Jaffle

Jaffle is still in training for the coveted role of Chief Taste Tester, his inexperience apparent when he demolished entire raw kale leaves while Dozer looked down in horror from the Big Sky Kitchen.

Today was a test to see how far he’s come – raw carrots (left) vs French Glazed Carrots (right).

He devoured the glazed carrots, then look down at the raw carrots with disdain…… *Dozer gives a nod of approval from above*

……then promptly proceeded to devour the raw carrots too.

Showing promise, but not quite there. 🥰