Gordon Ramsay’s Favorite 4-Ingredient Midnight Snack Is the Easy Recipe I Make Once a Week

I know I’ve never met the man, but I feel like Gordon Ramsay just gets me. Maybe that’s because I’ve eaten at his restaurants on a few occasions, and every time, it’s been some of the best meals of my life. I’m talking so much so that I begged his team to give me his risotto recipe to make at home. Or, maybe I like him because, for a Michelin-star chef, his palette is actually quite relatable.

I know what you’re thinking—how can a man who asked for his final meal to include a beef Wellington prepared with his own recipe be relatable? To that, I say, I’ve had Ramsay’s beef Wellington, and the man has a point. Plus, in the same meal, he requested a fast food burger from In-N-Out and a deep-fried Mars bar. Tell me that’s not a chef for the people. 

As if I didn’t respect Ramsay’s food choices enough already, I recently discovered an old “Bon Appétit” interview with him that solidified his position as one of my top chefs.

Gordon Ramsay’s Favorite Midnight Snack

When asked about his favorite midnight snack, Ramsay spouted off a recipe that’s very similar to one of my comfort food favorites.

“That would be baked beans. Chili flakes, garlic, Tabasco sauce, hot sauce. Sourdough bread—grilled—baked beans on top, with a duck egg, covered with Parmesan and gratinated under the grill,” he told the outlet.

If you know, you know. If you don’t, let me introduce you to the best meal that’s a zip to make. 

How To Make Gordon Ramsay’s Midnight Snack

Baked beans to those in the UK and Europe are not the same as the ones in the U.S. Instead of the American classic, made with sweet and savory with sugar, ketchup, and sometimes bacon, the ones Ramsay is referring to are made in a rich tomato-based sauce. They’re a staple in the UK served with a full English breakfast, jacket potatoes, and, of course, over toast.

I was introduced to the baked beans—made by Heinz—when I was studying abroad in London, and I’ve been hooked ever since. It should be a crime that Heinz—a Pittsburgh-based company—doesn’t make the beans in the U.S., but I digress. 

You can find Heinz Beans stateside—you just might have to go to a specialty store or order them on Amazon. And, if you want to try Ramsay’s (and my) recipe, then you absolutely need them. Sorry, but Bush’s just won’t do.

For Ramsay’s midnight snack, he heats up his beans and likely adds the spices and hot sauce directly to the tomato sauce. Personally, I don’t think you need to doctor up the beans, I enjoy them just as Heinz intended: plain. 

Then, he grills a piece of sourdough and tops it with the beans, a duck egg (cooked in an unspecified way), and Parmesan cheese—which he then browns under the broiler. I’m not going to say that doesn’t sound delicious, but it also sounds like a ton of work. 

Here’s my “lazy” version. I warm the beans while my sourdough bread toasts, and sometimes I’ll make an over-easy (chicken) egg. Then I top the bread with the beans and a boatload of cheese—which is usually whatever variety is in my fridge. 

Sure, it’s not as fancy as Ramsay’s “gratinated” duck egg toast, but it’s just as delicious.