Beurre manié Beurre manié Beurre manié (French "kneaded butter") is a dough, consisting of equal parts of soft butter and flour, used to thicken soups and sauces. By kneading the flour and butter together, the flour particles are coated in butter. When the beurre manié is whisked into a hot or warm liquid, the butter melts, releasing the flour particles without creating lumps. Beurre manié should not be confused with roux, which is also a thickener made of equal parts of sometimes clarified butter or many other oils and flour, but which is cooked before use. Beurre manié is also used as
Mound of Butter moisture from it, because the high amounts of buttermilk would shorten its storage life. Back then, butter was usually stored wrapped in a cheesecloth, in a cool place. In the painting, the butter mound's cloth is falling loosely over a couple of eggs beside it. The painting also has thick marks layered on top of the artist's brush-work, probably meant to illustrate the marks after the butter knife was used to spread butter with; or the wooden spatula, used to spread the butter with and also used in producing the butter. Kitchen scenes, food preparation, and depiction of everyday objects