It brings out all the rich, creamy cheese tastes beautifully.
I refer to grilled cheese sandwiches as "chameleon sandwiches" since you can drastically alter their taste with a single component, which often involves a spicy element for me. Drawing inspiration from Chef Edward Lee’s techniques, I’m incorporating gochujang to elevate my sandwich. grilled cheese sandwiches With a zesty, savory kick.
If you're not familiar with Lee, he's a Korean-American chef and restaurateur from Brooklyn known for wearing casual blue jeans beneath his chef's jacket on the popular Netflix series. Culinary Class Wars , and he has completely won over hearts (okay, at least mine) thanks to his distinct Kentucky accent and laid-back attitude. His style of cooking is refreshing during an age dominated by shows like "The Bear" with their frenzied kitchen environments.
I could ramble endlessly about Lee (thankfully, my spouse won't be seeing this as they'd likely start making faces and cutting off our streaming service subscriptions like Netflix). But now, let's return to discussing gochujang—the aromatic, crimson-hued, fermented chili condiment hailing from South Korea.
Gochujang One of the primary three condiments in South Korean cuisine is gochujang; the others include doenjang (fermented soybean paste) and ganjang (soy sauce). This ingredient offers spiciness without overwhelming your taste buds. Additionally, it has subtle notes of sweetness and smoke, along with undertones of umami and caramel due to the fermentation process. If prepared using glutinous rice rather than barley malt, gochujang becomes gluten-free.
Adding gochujang to a grilled cheese doesn't overwhelm but rather complements. The umami richness brings out all the savory notes of the melted cheese.
How To Make Gochujang Grilled Cheese
What you'll need for one sandwich:
- 2 slices of bread (sourdough, white, milk, or ciabatta as Lee recommends)
- 1 tablespoon mayonnaise, plus extra to spread over the outside of the bread, if using
- 1 teaspoon up to 1 tablespoon of gochujang
- 1 tablespoon of butter for melting in the pan, along with additional butter to coat the exterior of the bread if needed.
- Up to 2 ounces of cheese, such as a blend of shredded white cheddar, fontina, and Gruyère
Lee’s method involves using a 1:1 mixture of mayonnaise and gochujang as the foundation for a cheesy dip. Thus, for each spoonful of mayonnaise, include an equivalent portion of gochujang.
If this is your first time trying gochujang, it might seem quite spicy initially, so begin by mixing only half a teaspoon with a tablespoon of mayonnaise per sandwich. After tasting it, if you feel like you can handle more spice, slowly increase the amount until you reach about one tablespoon altogether.
Next, stir in shredded cheese to make a bright, orangish, and fragrant cheese mixture. To enhance the taste, Lee adds finely minced garlic, diced red onion, and some parsley. However, for a straightforward, uncomplicated grilled cheese sandwich, only the cheeses, mayonnaise, and gochujang are necessary. After all, gochujang contributes ample aroma and flavor on its own.
Place the gochujang-cheese spread between two pieces of bread that have been coated with either butter or mayonnaise. Next, prepare the sandwich in your usual manner. To prepare a grilled cheese using a skillet, frying pan, air fryer, toaster, or oven, get ready for a delicious treat: crisp and crunchy exteriors paired with oozy, molten cheese that adds some warmth without overwhelming your palate. Every mouthful promises an extraordinary taste experience.
The next time you prepare a grilled cheese sandwich, follow the example of my admired chef, Edward Lee, and include the flavorful and strikingly spicy fermented chili paste known as gochujang.
My Suggestions for Making the Perfect Grilled Cheese
Although I enjoy a deliciously savory and spicy grilled cheese, I temper these bold tastes by incorporating a touch of honey. This sweetener can either be mixed into the cheese spread or sprinkled atop the freshly cooked sandwich.
To enhance the texture, I suggest adding a layer of well-drained kimchi on top of the cheese spread. This will contribute both crispness and an excellent flavor contrast to the gochujang.
Chef Lee’s gochujang grilled cheese remains unchanged as it includes a term from another language. is packed with ingredients such as bean sprouts, okra, and pancetta. Don’t hesitate to pile your grilled cheese high with thinly sliced SPAM, diced chicken, turkey, ham, tofu slices, mushroom slices, or bacon!