French · Authentic-ish French
Carottes Vichy
70 kcal a serving, against 160 for the traditional version. That is 90 kcal off, or 56%, with 1.2g of protein. Serves 4. 25 minutes.
What the traditional version is
Sliced carrots placed in a wide pan with water, a massive knob of butter, salt and a heavy spoonful of caster sugar. They are boiled hard until the water evaporates completely. The remaining butter and sugar form a thick, sticky syrup that coats every single slice in a rich, glossy glaze.
What changed, and what each change costs
50g of butter down to 10g
Vegetables do not need to swim in dairy to taste good. A tiny bit of butter right at the end of the cooking time gives you a hint of that classic richness without drowning the dish. Adding it at the very end means it emulsifies with the remaining water, stretching a small amount of fat over a lot of food.
What it costs you. You lose the thick, luxurious coating that makes the original feel so decadent. The carrots taste more like, well, carrots.
20g of sugar down to absolutely zero
Carrots are already naturally sweet, especially if you buy good ones and not the massive woody things from the bottom shelf. Boiling them in actual caster sugar is overkill unless you are trying to convince a fussy toddler to eat their dinner. I rely entirely on the natural sugars in the vegetable to provide the sweetness.
What it costs you. You don't get that sticky, candied exterior. The glaze is much thinner and less like a dessert, which might disappoint anyone expecting a sugar rush.
The numbers
| Per serving | Traditional | Lightened |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 160 | 70 |
| Protein | 1.3g | 1.2g |
| Fat | 10.4g | 2.3g |
| Saturated fat | 6.4g | 1.3g |
| Carbohydrate | 17g | 12.1g |
| Protein per 100 kcal | 0.8g | 1.8g |
Every figure is computed from the recipe's own weighed ingredient list against public food composition databases. The appendix in Authentic-ish French prints the exact database row used for each ingredient, so any number here can be checked.
Allergens. milk.
The method is in the book
What you've got is just a really good plate of carrots. A sticky, candied pudding is a different dish and you know where to find it. The natural sweetness of the root vegetable does all the heavy lifting, and the tiny bit of butter at the end rounds out the edges perfectly. Yes, the original French method tastes far more luxurious, but this is a side dish you can eat every single week without feeling weighed down. It delivers exactly what you need from a side: clean flavour, bright colour and a bit of bite.
The quantities and the method for this dish are in Authentic-ish French, along with 54 more. Buy the paperback