Dill Buttered Carrots are something lost in the midst of the not-so-distant past but most certainly need a revival. Peeled and sliced carrots are cooked in broth and butter until reduced to a shiny pearly glaze, which is mixed with fresh chopped dill and plenty of freshly cracked black pepper.

There is something heavily nostalgic about dining in the past, and I’m not even talking about the midcentury. The last two decades of the 20th century were a showcase of food in very unsuspecting, as well as traditional ways. Lattice-covered walls with draping plastic ferns, and carpeted dining rooms divided by a pony wall that defined the smoking and not smoking sections. Pink and soft blue fabric napkins folded like fans or swans across heavy weighted buffalo ware were features of the classic dining setting in restaurants. Yet there was also a bit of a push towards the extravagant. Towering salads, fusion foods, and indelible garnishes (remember the ring of herbs around the lip of the past bowl and the giant stalk of raw rosemary sticking out of your meat?).

It’s in this environment that Dill Buttered Carrots made its home. An actual classic French dish called carottes à la Vichy, which is young or freshly picked carrots that are boiled in a stock and sugar and then tossed with butter (like a lot), and herbs was the base for the 80s and 90s vegetable side dishes.

This version of carottes à la Vichy doesn’t require the young carrots or the pound of butter to make a standout and flavorful side dish!

After peeling and slicing the carrots, start preparing the pan by melting butter. Once melted, add a tiny bit of sugar and stir to dissolve the sugar. Add the carrots, tossing to combine. Next, pour in the stock. Chicken stock adds the most flavor to this side dish, but if you want a vegetarian option, you can use vegetable stock or water.

Bring the mixture to a boil and reduce to a simmer, cooking until most of the liquid is dissolved and the carrots are tender.

Toss in the chopped fresh dill and cook for an additional two to three minutes. This will reduce the raw flavor of the dill and help incorporate the herb’s flavor into the dish.

A last tiny bit of salt and pepper to taste is all you need to finish this dish!

Dill Buttered Carrots have the taste of spring without having to wait for spring. The savoriness of the stock and the tiny bit of sweetness from the sugar enhances the flavors of the carrots and adds a lot of complexity. The buttered sauce coats the carrots with a glossiness that’s on par with fancy restaurants of the past.

The dill is prominent but not overpowering and adds freshness and lightness to contrast the richness of the butter.

While it has a fresh springtime-like flavor palette, this side dish can be made any time of year. It’s a simple way to dress up carrots without having to dirty your oven with roasting or covering your walls with grease by pan-frying. It’s a one-pot wonder that takes a simple vegetable and makes it into a standout star of the dinner table!