Vichy Carrots© Denzil Green
Vichy Carrots is a glazed carrot dish.
To make Vichy Carrots, thinly sliced carrots are placed in a pot with a small amount of Vichy water, butter and sugar, then covered and simmered over low heat until tender, drained, then garnished with minced parsley. No salt is used.
You can use any carbonated water, or just water with a very small pinch of baking soda, though technically it’s not the same taste. But the food writer Jane Grigson said, “I should be surprised if you would know the difference between glazed carrots cooked with Vichy water, or tap water plus bicarb, or tap water on its own.”
History Notes
Vichy is a town famous for its mineral water, and as such, is also a spa town. At one point in the 1700s or 1800s, carrots were used as an important item at many of the restaurants in Vichy, being regarded as important part of the overall “cure” that people had come to the town to engage in. Vichy Carrots, together with the water, were seen as helping digestion.