Beurre Maine is dough made of equal quantity of flour and butter kneaded together and used to thicken sauces and soups. In French, beurre maine means “kneaded butter” .
Facts
- When flour and butter are kneaded together, the butter forms a skin over the flour particles and helps to bind the ingredients together.
- As the flour butter mixture is added to the hot soup or sauce, the butter starts to melt, setting the flour particles free, hence, preventing the flour from forming lumps.
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It is best made with whole butter instead of clarified butter.
- Only a small amount of beurre maine is required to thicken any sauce or soup.
Difference between Buerre Maine and Roux
This French ingredient may seem much similar to roux, but the two should not be confused as the same. Roux is equal quantity of flour cooked with equal quantity of butter, over low heat until well combined. Contrary to that, beurre maine is not cooked but simply a kneaded mixture.
As the beurre maine is not cooked, there are chances that it can give the liquid to which is added, an unpleasant floury or raw flour taste. This is caused because of the uncooked proteins present in the flour. So, it is important to cook the liquid mixture well, after the addition of the ingredient. This is in stark contrast to the usage of roux, which is added to the liquid when it is almost ready to be served. Moreover, roux is mostly used in colored gravies, which is not the case with buerre maine.
