Matignon (cooking)

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.^[2] The vegetarian version is referred to as maigre ("lean"). When ham or bacon is added, it is called gras ("fat," i.e., containing meat).^[3] 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.