A Cook's Life-Saver

[kit]

If you like to cook, like I do, and often make a sauce, stew or chowder and
it turns out a little thin and runny, you need a "Life-Saver' to fix it.

My Life-Saver is called Buerre Manié (pronounce 'burr mon-YAY'). It's
easy to make and keeps a long time in the fridge. Here's how I make and use
it...

In a small bowl, bring 1/4 stick (1 oz) of butter to room temperature (but
don't melt it). Add 1/4 cup of all-purpose flour and mix very thoroughly
with a fork. Don't skimp on the mixing. You should end up with a smooth,
thick paste. Put it into a small covered container, or roll it up in wax paper
and refrigerate to solidify.

If your sauce, stew, chowder or bisque is too thin and runny, add a little
chunk of Buerre Manié and boil gently for a minute while stirring and the sauce will
thicken and have a nice gloss. A little goes a long way. If the sauce is still too
thin, repeat. Buerre Manié has saved many a sauce for me and I now use it
regularly as part of my cooking technique.

[Deleted]

I do that when I make my Beef Stew with Burgundy wine and chanterelle mushrooms. Sometime I need it for my Lobster Bisque and Clam Chowder.

[kit]

I'll bet your Beef Stew is delicious.

[Clipper]

Kathy uses the mixture occasionally, but makes it as she needs it. I don't recall her ever simply having it mixed and on hand in the refrigerator. Most likely because we don't eat that many dishes that require or include a sauce. I have seen her use it for gravy however. The butter simply adds a little richness to a gravy. I am not fond of a gravy that is real thick with flour, but I do like gravy made with flour rather than corn starch in most cases. Kathy simply uses the butter/flour mixture instead of mixing flour and water in a slurry to thicken a gravy.

[kit]

To make gravy I add the flour to the pan drippings in the beginning and cook for a couple minutes, then add the liquid, rather than adding a slurry all at once. Similar outcome, but I believe making the roux first is a little more flavorful and the gravy is 'lumpless'.

Now I'm hungry.

[Clipper]

It seems to be whatever a person grows up familiar with in some cases. While growing up I never knew what a roux was. Mom always made gravy with flour and water slurry. Kathy never "fusses" with a roux. She is content making her gravy with the butter flour mixture or with a slurry. In most cases she mixes a the flour and softened butter.

I DO use a roux when I make sausage gravy for breakfast or a cream gravy for chicken fried steak. I make a very light colored "blonde roux" for my sausage gravy. It is not a heart healthy choice, but it is delicious. I simply don't make it or eat it very often. I make a very rich and thick sausage gravy by using the drippings for the roux, and instead of plain milk, I use an entire can evaporated milk to start and add a little whole milk to it to reach the desired volume of gravy and the correct consistency. A few twists of the pepper grinder supplements the spices in the sausage drippings.