Garlic bread is already amazing, but you know what’s even better? Asian garlic bread! Here, I confit garlic and mix it with butter and Korean gochujang to make a spicy, umami-rich base. Oh, and there’s cheese because, well… everything’s better with cheese! Serve as a starter, side or snack and get amongst it.
200g (7 oz) unsalted butter, room temperature
½ cup grated parmesan, plus extra for sprinkling
2 tsp sea salt
1 baguette, sliced lengthways
shichimi togarashi*, for sprinkling
¼ cup sliced spring onion (scallions)
Gochujang confit garlic:
500g (1 lb) garlic cloves
2 tbsp gochujang
3 whole star anise
2 bay leaves
1 tsp sea salt
vegetable oil, to cover
- To make the gochujang confit garlic, add the garlic cloves to a shallow ovenproof dish, followed by the gochujang, star anise, bay leaves and sea salt. Pour over enough vegetable oil to cover the garlic cloves, then give everything a gentle stir to incorporate the gochujang into the oil. Transfer dish to the oven and roast for 1 hour 30 minutes at 150°C (300°F) until the cloves are soft.
- In a small food processor, add the butter, confit garlic cloves and half of the oil (keep the other half – it’s delicious drizzled on noodles). Add the grated parmesan and salt, then blend everything together. Set aside to cool down until thickened and spreadable. Meanwhile, preheat your oven grill on high heat.
- Grab your baguette pieces and place them on a tray. Spread the tops with a generous layer of the gochujang garlic butter. Sprinkle with shichimi togarashi, then add a little more parmesan cheese. Transfer the tray to the grill and cook for 1-2 minutes or until the cheese has just melted.
- Remove from the oven and transfer garlic bread to a serving plate. Scatter with spring onion and serve while hot.
- Notes: – Shichimi togarashi is a Japanese spice blend that contains (among other things) sansho pepper, chilli powder, sesame seeds, nori and dried orange peel. It’s available from Asian supermarkets.
