Beurre manié

Beurre manié, French for "kneaded butter", is soft butter and flour worked together into a paste. You whisk small pieces of it into a hot liquid to thicken it. It is a quick fix at the end of cooking, when a stew, soup or gravy is thinner than you want.

How to do it

1. Mix equal weights of soft butter and flour, for example 15 g of each (1 tablespoon butter and 2 tablespoons flour), with a fork or your fingers until smooth.
2. Bring the liquid to a simmer.
3. Whisk in the paste a small piece at a time.
4. Simmer for 2 to 3 minutes after each addition so the flour can thicken and lose its raw taste.
5. Stop when the sauce is as thick as you want.

As a guide, 15 g each of butter and flour thickens about 250 ml (1 cup) of liquid lightly.

Why it works

Flour clumps when you add it straight to hot liquid, because the outside of each lump swells and seals the dry flour inside. Coating each grain of flour in fat keeps the grains apart. As the butter melts, the flour spreads through the liquid, and its starch swells and thickens it.

Substitutes

• A roux does the same job but is cooked first, so it has no raw flour taste. It suits sauces you plan ahead.
• A cornstarch slurry thickens faster and gives a clearer, glossier result.
• An egg yolk and cream liaison thickens and enriches cream sauces.

How to store it

Roll extra beurre manié into a log, wrap it, and keep it in the fridge for up to 2 weeks or the freezer for up to 3 months. Slice off what you need.

Common mistakes

• Adding too much at once. It is easy to overshoot, and the sauce keeps thickening as it simmers.
• Not simmering after adding it, which leaves a floury taste.
• Using it for long cooking. It is a finishing step, not a base.