Gochujang Mayo (Korean Spicy Mayonnaise Sauce)

Method

1. 1Crush the garlic clove through a press or grate it on the fine side of a box grater into a small mixing bowl. Skip rough chopping — visible garlic chunks will dominate the sauce, you want it to dissolve into the emulsion. If you only have a knife, mince the garlic, sprinkle a pinch of salt over it, and crush it into a paste with the flat side of the blade.
2. 2Add the gochujang paste to the bowl with the garlic. Stir the two together for 15 seconds before adding anything else — gochujang is dense and sticks to itself, but mixed first with garlic and a few drops of moisture it loosens up and incorporates evenly into the mayo without leaving streaks.
3. 3Add the Kewpie mayonnaise, rice vinegar, toasted sesame oil, and honey. Whisk steadily for about 30 seconds until the sauce takes on a uniform deep tangerine colour with no streaks of red gochujang or white mayo. The texture should be smooth and pourable but still hold a soft peak when you lift the whisk.
4. 4Taste and adjust. If the sauce feels too tame, add another ½ teaspoon of gochujang. Too sharp or fermented, add another ¼ teaspoon of honey. Too thick, add a teaspoon of cold water. Too thin or flat, add another tablespoon of mayo. The target is creamy, slightly spicy with a slow build, with the fermented depth of gochujang clearly readable behind the heat.
5. 5Cover and rest in the fridge for 30 minutes before serving. This step is not optional if you want the best flavour — the garlic marinates in the acid, the gochujang's edge softens against the fat in the mayo, and the sesame oil works its way through the whole sauce. Without the rest you taste three separate notes; with it you get one rounded sauce.
6. 6Just before serving, transfer to a serving bowl and sprinkle the toasted sesame seeds on top. Serve cold or at room temperature with sweet potato fries, Korean fried chicken, poke bowls, burgers, or as a sandwich spread. Store leftovers in a sealed glass jar in the fridge for up to a week.