Kimchi and gochujang mac and cheese — a Ravinder Bhogal recipe

The chill is beginning to creep in. There’s a rustling riot of falling leaves and wan slants of mellow light. Out on a stroll, I came across a parade of dahlias. They were as big as plates, loud, immodest, the weight of their fat heads threatening to topple them. It won’t be long before they fade, but for now they rage on in unabashed hues. 

It’s the season for cashmere jumpers and beige food — bread, pasta, cheese or preferably all three at once. An inventory of the pantry reveals the ingredients for mac and cheese, comfort food incarnate. It’s uncomplicated enough, but a good one relies on a silky béchamel. Flour is cooked in butter to make a roux before increments of milk are slowly whisked in to make an alabaster, velvet sauce. The addition of Parmesan or cheddar will give you a voluptuous cheese sauce that will cuddle the elbows of your macaroni. 

There’s a lot to love about a classic mac and cheese, but more than a few bites can sometimes lead to plodding dullness, so I searched the furthest reaches of the fridge for inspiration. I was rewarded with a lottery: a half-eaten tub of kimchi and a glossy jar of gochujang — spicy, umami goodies from Korea to transform my humble cheesy pasta supper into something with complexity, tickling heat and bite. I’m not ready for the pale of winter or its blanched food just yet, but the scarlet gochujang in the kitchen remains defiantly aglow.

Kimchi and gochujang mac and cheese

Serves six

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/gas mark 4. Cook macaroni in a large saucepan of boiling salted water until al dente. Drain and set aside.

2. Clean the pan and gently melt the butter over a low heat. Infuse the garlic so it cooks slowly until golden and caramelised. Next add the flour and stir, cooking for 3-4 minutes until sandy. Whisk in the gochujang and cook briefly for 30 seconds and then gradually whisk in the milk and stir until it has thickened. This will take 3-5 minutes.

3. Stir in both cheeses, coriander, kimchi and spring onions, and season with sea salt and pepper (carefully, as kimchi is naturally quite salty). Turn out into a 25cm by 35cm baking dish. Mix together the breadcrumbs and extra cheddar, and scatter over the surface and bake for 25-30 minutes until golden brown and bubbling.

Ravinder Bhogal is chef-patron of Jikoni. Follow Ravinder on Instagram @cookinboots and Twitter @cookinboots

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