Gochujang Mac & Cheese
I accidentally squeezed gochujang into my mac and cheese once and the result was so good I pretended it was intentional.
Ingredients
- 1 pound elbow macaroni or cavatappi
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 3 cups whole milk
- 2 cups sharp cheddar, shredded
- 1 cup gruyère, shredded
- 2-3 tablespoons gochujang 2 for mild, 3 for medium
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- Salt and pepper
- Panko breadcrumb topping: 1 cup panko + 2 tbsp melted butter + sesame seeds
Method
Make the Cheese Sauce
- Melt butter in a large pot. Whisk in flour — cook 1 minute (this is a roux, the same French technique I use in about 40% of my recipes). Gradually pour in milk, whisking constantly to prevent lumps. Cook 5-6 minutes until thickened. Remove from heat. Stir in cheddar, gruyère, and gochujang until melted and smooth. The sauce should be orange-red, creamy, and glossy. Taste: it should be cheesy, savoury, and have a warm, building spiciness from the gochujang that's completely different from hot sauce heat.
Combine and Bake
- Cook pasta 1 minute short of al dente. Drain. Stir into the cheese sauce. Pour into a baking dish. Top with the panko mixture (panko tossed with melted butter and sesame seeds — the sesame seeds are a nod to the Korean element). Bake at 190C / 375F for 20-25 minutes until bubbly and the panko topping is golden. The sesame-panko crust adds crunch and ties the Korean-American fusion together visually and texturally.