How Gordon Ramsay Gives Beans On Toast An Elegant Twist

Gordon Ramsay, the celebrity chef extraordinaire with nearly 90 restaurants, seems to have a tasty twist for just about any classic dish. As a fan of traditional English cuisine, Ramsay's bag of tricks includes an upgrade for a classic English comfort staple: beans on toast. Beans on toast is an anytime-of-day meal that's been enjoyed by Ramsay, the late Queen Elizabeth, and so many others. Not only is it tasty, it's almost effortless to make — all it requires is heating up beans, making toast, and then topping the toast with beans in a delicious marriage.

In a video shared on his Facebook page, Ramsay kicks things up a spicy notch with ingredients that ensure you'll always have, in Ramsay's words "glamorous beans." It starts with fried bacon or pancetta pieces, to which chopped chili pepper (including the seeds), onion, and garlic are added. As the meat crisps, Ramsay adds diced onion and brown sugar, which offers caramelization. He also adds a few tablespoons of cider vinegar to deglaze the pan, a touch of Worcestershire sauce, and pureed tomatoes to really give his beans a flavored-fill bath with an almost chili-like sauce. Not only does this make for amazing aromatics, but it also turns an easy meal into something elegant with an incredible depth of flavor. 

Ramsay's spicy twist on beans and toast doesn't stop there. He also makes homemade potato cakes to sit his spicy beans on. Ramsay notes that it's a good way to use leftover potatoes and mashes them together with butter and flour for a light cake-like texture. Once rolled into small, individual balls, they're flattened and fried in olive oil to make a creamy cake with a crisp exterior that pairs perfectly with a scoop or two of tomato sauce and beans.

If you've ever wondered how beans became a staple in dishes like beans on toast and a traditional English breakfast, the answer is simple. It dates back to WWII when beans — specifically Heinz (yes, the ketchup company) beans — became an affordable staple in many homes. In fact, according to reports, more than 2 million cans of Heinz Beans are sold daily in the UK. 

At the center of Ramsay's spicy mouth-warming, comfort meal is beans, specifically haricot beans, which Ramsay says are "packed with protein and have a lovely soft texture." In the United States, they're better known as navy beans because they're been a staple of U.S. Navy sailors' diets for more than 100 years. Whether you want to make crispy potato cakes or enjoy a simple meal of beans on toast, Ramsay's recipe is a reminder that simple touches in recipes can easily turn the ordinary into the extraordinary, turning basic dishes into awesome works of art.