Beurre Manié (French for “kneaded butter”) is made by mixing equals parts of softened butter and flour. This dough or paste is used to thicken sauces, soups and stews. Note that plant-based butter can also be used to make beurre manié—you may just have to use a bit more flour (3:2).

The flour and butter are kneaded together, either by hand or by using the back of a spoon. The kneading coats the grains of flour in the butter. When the beurre manié is whisked into a hot or warm liquid, the butter melts, which releases the flour particles and promotes thickening. Beurre manié is helpful in creating a smooth sauce as the flour is not added all at once, which means no lumps will form.

Unlike roux, beurre manié is not cooked before using. It is also added only at the end of cooking. For this reason, it will need to be cooked after it has been added to the sauce to cook out any raw flour taste.

Beurre manié should be added in small increments. The sauce also must be brought to a gentle boil, as it will not thicken otherwise. Add additional beurre manié, as needed, until you reach the desired thickness.