Forget Butter: Sir Patrick Stewart's Signature Toast Starts With One Canned Ingredient

The world has lost a legend in Sir Patrick Stewart. The late actor, who died aged 86, had a gilded career spanning over 60 years and was best known for his legendary performances in the "Star Trek" and "X-Men" franchises. A Shakespearean at heart, he was knighted for his services to drama in 2010. Though he spent his final years in Los Angeles, Stewart was a true Brit through and through, and his taste in food never outgrew his humble Yorkshire roots.

In a video he personally shared to Facebook, Stewart tucked into beans on toast, calling it his "signature dish since 1948," and the only thing he knew how to cook. Though it might not look like much, this dish is truly a fitting way to remember a through-and-through Yorkshireman. He claimed to have eaten it thousands of times growing up, and the first mouthful sent him straight back to his childhood. 

Beans on toast are as fundamental to British cuisine as any traditional English Sunday roast, though they've never built much of a following in the U.S. But looks can be deceiving, and if it was good enough for Stewart, chances are it'll be good enough for you, too. Its beauty is in its simplicity; all you need are toast and canned beans. Stewart never said which beans he used, but for Brits, Heinz Baked Beanz are the crème de la crème. To enjoy them as Stewart did, toast thick slices of bread, and butter them while they're still warm. Gently warm the beans in a saucepan or the microwave, then spoon them over the top. Though Stewart's took his plain, you can dress it up with a poached egg, another thing Stewart was known to enjoy.

Beans on toast weren't the only British staple Sir Patrick Stewart held dear. In a 2014 interview with Bon Appétit, he also revealed his deep love of Marmite, the dark, sticky, intensely salty spread made from the yeast left over from brewing beer. Describing his taste in food as "savory and intense," Stewart said, "I'm English, and all Englishmen are addicted to Marmite." 

It seems Sir Stewart had a somewhat divisive taste. While any Brit will defend the honor of beans on toast, even in Britain, Marmite splits opinion, just as its famous slogan goes: "You either love it or hate it." It's no surprise, then, that over in the U.K., the word Marmite has become shorthand for anything polarizing.

If you'd like to bring Stewart's two great loves together, Marmite is a natural fit for beans on toast. Its deep, savory umami rounds out the sweet, tangy tomato sauce, making the beans taste far richer and more complex. The easiest route is to spread a thin layer of Marmite over the buttered toast before piling on the beans. For a more integrated flavor, melt a small spoonful of Marmite with a knob of butter in a saucepan, then stir in the beans and warm everything through. Make sure to start small (around a teaspoon); a little goes a long way. You could even borrow inspiration from another dearly departed British icon, George Harrison, and make his three-ingredient Marmite sandwich, with a side of baked beans for good measure.