In cooking, a matignon is a

mirepoix A mirepoix ( , ) is a mixture of diced vegetables cooked with fat (usually butter) for a long time on low heat without coloring or browning. The ingredients are not sautéed or otherwise hard-cooked, because the intention is to sweeten rather t ...

in which the ingredients are minced rather than diced, and more flavorings added. Matignon, unlike mirepoix, is not a part of the food preparation itself, but is always served at the table.

Ingredients

Matignon is a combination of evenly diced vegetables, usually onion (and/or leek), celery, and carrot, with thyme and bay leaf, sautéed in butter over a low flame until softened and translucent ("melted" but not browned), seasoned to taste with a pinch of salt (and a pinch of sugar, if needed), and finished with a dash of white wine or

Madeira Madeira ( ; ), officially the Autonomous Region of Madeira (), is an autonomous Regions of Portugal, autonomous region of Portugal. It is an archipelago situated in the North Atlantic Ocean, in the region of Macaronesia, just under north of ...

. The vegetarian version is referred to as ''maigre'' ("lean"). When ham or bacon is added, it is called ''gras'' ("fat," i.e., containing meat).The terms ''maigre'' and ''gras'' refer to the traditional

Roman Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...

prescription of days for abstaining from meat during

Lent Lent (, 'Fortieth') is the solemn Christianity, Christian religious moveable feast#Lent, observance in the liturgical year in preparation for Easter. It echoes the 40 days Jesus spent fasting in the desert and enduring Temptation of Christ, t ...

and other fast days. Since the seventeenth century, recipe books in France had been organized so readers could plan meals in accordance with the liturgical calendar. Se
Sean Takats, ''The Expert Cook in Enlightenment France'' (Baltimore, Maryland: Johns Hopkins University Press) p. 110.
/ref> Frequently the vegetables serve as a bed on which to cook meat, poultry, and fish dishes, or as a stuffing, but sometimes the matignon is served as a separate side dish in its own right.

Notes

External links

{{French cuisine French cuisine Culinary terminology