Cream Stew (with Beurre Manié)
Cream stew is a popular yōshoku dish in Japan. It’s made with accessible ingredients and pantry items, so you can make it almost anywhere. The most traditional method starts with a béchamel sauce, but I know some people feel intimidated by making béchamel or are simply looking for an easier approach. I got you. Let’s make cream stew with beurre manié instead.
What is cream stew?
Cream stew is one of my childhood favorites, and I crave it whenever the weather turns cold. It’s something between the filling of a chicken pot pie and a chowder. It’s more soupy than chicken pot pie filling, but creamier than chowder. For many Japanese moms, this is the second back pocket dinner after curry when they don’t feel like cooking. You probably know about boxed curry roux, the instant curry blocks sold at grocery stores. There is also cream stew roux available at Japanese grocery stores. I used it often when I first started living on my own in college, only to realize later that it’s actually very easy to make from scratch.
What is beurre manié?
Beurre manié, which translates to “kneaded butter,” is a classic French finishing thickener. It’s made by blending equal parts softened butter and uncooked flour into a smooth paste, then whisking it into hot soups or sauces at the end of cooking. After a few minutes of simmering, it thickens the liquid and creates a velvety texture without lumps.
One problem I encountered when making cream stew from scratch was that the milk sometimes curdled. After some testing and research, I realized the issue. In one test batch, I deglazed the pan with white wine after cooking the chicken. Most white wines have a pH between about 3.0 and 3.4, which makes them fairly acidic, similar to tomatoes or citrus. That acidity can cause milk to curdle, so I decided to omit the white wine.
Cream instead of milk
Cream holds up better under heat than milk. The higher fat content helps prevent separation, making it ideal for soups and sauces that need to simmer. It also delivers a richer flavor and texture. Since 2 percent milk contains less fat than whole milk, it is even more prone to curdling.
Adding warm cream
Milk curdles when cold dairy hits a hot soup because the sudden heat denatures the casein proteins, causing them to clump together. To prevent this, I gently warm the cream in a small saucepan before adding it to the stew. This simple step helps keep the texture smooth.
Cornstarch as a stabilizer
In my test batch, I used beurre manié as the thickener, but I still experienced occasional coagulation. I reached out to two trusted friends, Nik Sharma and Jun Tan. Both suggested adding a small amount of cornstarch as a stabilizer, and it worked beautifully.
To boost umami, I added grated Parmesan cheese. I also baked some leftover pie dough scraps in my BALMUDA The Toaster. Since they were just small scraps, I prefer using the toaster oven instead of turning on the full size oven. In Japan, there is an ongoing debate about whether to serve stew with rice or bread. I am firmly team bread, especially rustic bread or a baguette rather than soft bread like shokupan, but you can absolutely serve it with rice if you prefer.
I have another cream stew recipe on the blog as well. Both are easy, but I think this one is more foolproof.
Cream Stew (with Beurre Manié)
Prep time 10 min
Cooking time: 30min
Total 40 min
Serves 2
Ingredients
For Beurre Manié
2 tablespoons butter, softened
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
1 teaspoon cornstarch
For the stew
1 chicken breast, about 6 to 8 oz, cut into chunks
Salt and pepper
1 tablespoon oil
2 medium potatoes (about 250 g), cut into chunks
1 carrot (about 100 g), cut into chunks
½ onion (about 100 g), sliced about 1 inch thick
⅓ cup frozen green peas
3 cups chicken stock
2 bay leaves
1 cup heavy cream
⅓ cup grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper, to taste
A few scraps of pie crust, optional
Preparation
In a small bowl, combine the softened butter, flour, and cornstarch. Mix well until smooth. Set aside.
Season the chicken with salt and pepper.
Heat a heavy bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the oil, then add the chicken and sear on both sides, about 4 to 5 minutes total. The chicken does not need to be cooked through. Remove from the pot and set aside.
Add the onion, carrot, and potatoes to the pot. Stir well and cook for a couple of minutes. Add the chicken stock, bay leaves, and the seared chicken. Bring to a simmer and skim if needed. Once simmering, cover with a lid and cook until the vegetables and chicken are cooked through, about 5 to 7 minutes.
While the stew is cooking, gently warm the cream in a small saucepan.
Once everything is cooked, ladle a spoonful of the hot cooking liquid into the beurre manié to loosen it. Add the loosened beurre manié to the pot and stir until fully melted and incorporated. Pour in the warm cream and mix well. Add the frozen peas. Cover and simmer gently until thickened, about 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Stir in the grated Parmesan cheese and mix well. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper as needed.
Serve with pie crust scraps if you like.