thefoodlessprocessed

Beurre manié is “kneaded butter”. Butter and flour are creamed together and added to a sauce to thicken it. One of its advantages over other thickeners is that it is added, a bit at a time, as a last adjustment to the sauce before serving, so that the thickness of the sauce may be more finely calibrated.

As it contains only flour and butter, it is far less processed than the highly processed cornstarch often used in home cooking.

It forms a sauce less heavy than one thickened by flour browned on to meat or vegetables.

The texture and quality of a sauce made with it are finer and smoother than one in which the same ingredients are cooked together in a roux, and a liquid added to it. Basic white sauces made in this way are sometimes finished with beurre manié to lighten them.

There are less processed versions of both ingredients. You may read more about them here: Butter, Flour.

Equipment

• a Small Mixing Bowl
• a Whisk or Hand Mixer

Ingredients

• 1 Tablespoon of Organic European-style Unsalted Butter, slightly softened (14 g)
• 3 Tablespoons of European All-Purpose Soft Wheat White Flour (24 g)

Making the Beurre manié

• Cream the butter and flour together.

Using Beurre manié

thefoodlessprocessed uses Louis Diat’s basic proportions of flour to butter from his Basic French Cookbook: Techniques of French Cooking (1961). These proportions are a general guide. Mr. Diat varies them in his sauces.

If one is transforming a large amount of braising liquid into a sauce, the proportion of flour can be increased, even to a 1 : 1 ratio. On the other hand, if a sauce liquid tastes thin or weak, the larger proportion of butter to flour will bring out its flavour.

Beurre manié is always added to the sauce liquid shortly before serving.