Beurre manié

Beurre manié is one of the great secrets of traditional French cooking. I’m always surprised that this technique isn’t more commonplace, due to it’s quick and easy preparation.

Meaning “kneaded butter”, beurre manié is used to thicken sauces and soups. Comparable to a roux, beurre manié is a mixture of equal parts flour and butter. However, unlike a roux, it is not cooked prior to using it.

How to Make Beurre Manié

To make beurre manié, add equal parts butter and flour to a mixing bowl. When making one batch, I typically use 1 cup butter and 1 cup flour, so I have plenty to store.

Knead ingredients together with your hands or using a fork. Make sure butter and flour are mixed thoroughly.

When using beurre manié, only whisk in a small amount at a time. You don’t want to add too much. If your sauce or soup is not thick enough, add a little more until it reaches the consistency you want.

Storage

If you don’t plan to use it in the upcoming week, beurre manié can be stored in the freezer for a couple of months.

I prefer to roll out the paste into a long tube, like I do with compound butter [LINK]. This way you can wrap it easily in saran wrap. Before using, you can slice off the exact amount you need per sauce.

You can also roll them into balls and store them in a tightly-sealed container in the freezer.