Beurre Manié - Sauce & Soup Thickener - Tips & Tricks | Club Foody

Beurre Manié is a sauce, soup and stew thickener. In French it means literally “handled butter”.

To make beurre manié, you need an equal amounts of butter and unbleached all-purpose flour. In the video, I use 1/2 cup of each. If you want to make some ahead and freeze it, portion beurre manié in teaspoons. It is the safe way to go as it’s a standard measure when added to sauces and soups.

 

Beurre Manié vs. Roux…

Although beurre manié and roux are both thickening agents and made with equal amounts, the stage of cooking and other components vary from one to another.

Beurre manié is added to warm or hot liquids at the final stage of cooking. As the flour particles are coated with butter, when butter melts, it releases them which helps to thicken without getting any lumps. It also gives a nice shiny texture to sauces.

While roux seems pretty much the same, flour and fat besides butter such as other oils, are cooked right at the beginning as a base for sauces, soups or stews. The length of cooking depends on the level of brownness.

Here’s a recipe that I use this thickener in…Lamb Chops with Balsamic & Red Wine Reduction