Kimchi Grilled Cheese (Kimcheese)

My all time favourite sandwhich – comfort food perfection. I stand by what I have said previously; the messier the sandwhich, the better it’s likely to taste. Grab a wad of kitchen roll, it doesn’t get much better than this.

Tips to achieve kimchi grilled cheese perfection: 

• Make sure your butter is at room temperate so you can generously spread it on your bread without tearing craters into it. 
• Pick your bread with love and care. White is the only option here for me but not just any white. Avoid plastic wonder-style bread and go for a classic country farmhouse loaf which will give you a pleasing contrast in textures between the soft centre and crisp crust.
• Use a good quality kimchi or even better, use your own homemade stash. Here’s my best-ever kimchi recipe. 
• If hanger is about to strike and you don’t want to make your own kimchi mayonaise, simply mix a splash of kimchi juice and black sesame seeds (if you have them) into shop bought mayo.
• Experiment with your cheeses but also pick carefully. I have chosen mature cheddar, smoked cheddar, gruyere and Raclette as it gives me the optimum combination of sharpness, flavour, cheesiness and melty ooze. 
• Use good quality sea salt and fresh black pepper to season your bread – it makes a difference.
• Watch your sandwhich cook with a hawk eye. Flip, squash and move around as you see fit.
• I hope that you love this sandwhich as much as I do. Head to my Instagram to see my camera debut as I make this for the Tom Aikens 5 Minute Cooking Challenge for the charity, Only A Pavement Away.

Kimchi Grilled Cheese (Kimcheese)

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Course: Dinner, LunchCuisine: KoreanDifficulty: Easy

Servings

2

servings

Prep time

10

minutes

Cooking time

5

minutes

This sandwich is nothing short of grilled cheese perfection.

Ingredients

• Kimchi Mayonaise

• 2 egg yolks, room temperature

• 1 cup canola oil

• 1/4 cup toasted sesame oil

• 2 tbsp kimchi juice (from the jar)

• 1 tsp black sesame seeds

• Kimchi Grilled Cheese

• butter, room temperature

• 4 slices thick cut, white farmhouse bread

• 1 cup kimchi, roughly chopped

• 2 tbsp kimchi, roughly chopped

• 2 tbsp kimchi mayonaise

• 1/2 cup extra mature smoked cheddar cheese, grated

• 1/2 cup Gruyere, grated

• 4 slices Raclette cheese

• sea salt

• black pepper

Directions

• Kimchi Mayonaise
• Combine the two oils together in a jug. 
• Whisk the egg yolks in a bowl. Gradually add about a third of the oil, very slowly at first, whisking continuously until it begins to thicken. 
• Once it has thickened a little, add in the rice vinegar and mix to loosen. 
• Add the remaining oil in a steady stream whilst continuously mixing. 
• Add the kimchi juice and sesame seeds, mix and taste for seasoning. Add salt if needed. 
• Use what you need for this recipe and then store the remaining in a sterilised jar in the fridge for up to a week. 
• Kimchi Grilled Cheese
• Spread the outside of each slice of bread with a generous smearing of butter. Sprinkle a pinch of sea salt and cracked black pepper on top of the butter. 
  
• Flip the bread over and spread the kimchi mayonnaise on the inside of half of the slices of bread. 
• Add the chopped kimchi on top of the mayonnaise then evenly layer the mix of cheeses. 
• Add the top of piece of bread, butter side up and gently squash together. 
• Place the sandwiches into a pan and cook until golden on each side and the cheese begins to ooze out. Cook one at a time if your pan is not large enough. Place a weight on top of the bread to help it cook a little faster, I use another pan or a heavy, large bowl. 
• Serve immediately with extra kimchi mayonnaise.