How to Make a Beurre Manié

If your soup or stew seems thin, borrow a trick from classic French cuisine: use beurre manié [burr mahn-YAY], which is French for “kneaded butter.” It's a thickening agent that you can easily prepare at home.

Mash soft butter and flour together in equal parts, add to the stew, and simmer until thickened, about 5 minutes. A couple tablespoons of beurre manié is normally enough for a pot of stew, but you can add more of the mixture one teaspoon at a time as needed.