Lara Lee’s recipe for kimchi dauphinoise

This sweet potato and kimchi twist on dauphinoise is a traybake of mouthwatering umami. Parmesan, anchovies, kimchi, garlic, gochujang and sesame oil combine to create a “wow” dish that is savoury, complex, rich and deliciously spiced. Serve as a showstopping side, or turn it into a main meal by adding a fried egg, pickles and a lightly dressed green salad. A mandoline helps slice the sweet potatoes evenly, but a steady hand will also do the trick.

Kimchi dauphinoise

Prep 20 min
Cook 1 hr 30 min, plus resting
Serves 6 as a light meal, 8 as a side

20g unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing
70g parmesan, finely grated
50g cheddar, coarsely grated
800g sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced into thin rounds about the width of a £1 coin (3-4mm)
½ tsp fine sea salt
1 leek, root cut off and discarded, the rest thinly sliced
6 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
6 anchovies (8g), roughly chopped
1 tbsp gochujang paste
250ml whole milk
150ml double cream
400g kimchi, roughly chopped
20g panko breadcrumbs
1 tsp sesame or neutral oil
1 tsp sesame seeds (optional)
Spring onions, thinly sliced

Heat the oven to 220C (200C fan)/425F/gas 7, and grease a 20cm x 30cm baking dish with butter. Combine the cheeses in a medium bowl. Put the sliced sweet potato in a large bowl and toss with the salt.

Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over a medium heat. Add the leek and garlic, then saute, stirring occasionally, for seven to eight minutes, until softened.

Add the anchovies and gochujang, stir to combine, then cook for a further minute. Add the milk and cream, and gently heat for a minute or two, just until the mixture is warmed through but hasn’t reached a simmer. Take off the heat, stir in the kimchi and a third of the cheese mixture, then set aside.

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Meanwhile, make the topping by combining the panko, sesame oil and sesame seeds (if using) in a small bowl.

Layer half the sweet potatoes in the greased baking dish, overlapping them as needed, then pour over half the kimchi mix and sprinkle with half the remaining cheese. Repeat the layers again, then sprinkle the panko crumb mix over the top.

Bake for about an hour, until bubbling and a deep golden brown, then take out of the oven and leave to stand for 10 minutes. Garnish with the sliced spring onions, then serve.

• Lara Lee is the author of A Splash of Soy, published by Bloomsbury at £22. To order a copy for £19.80, visit guardianbookshop.com