Harry Potter-inspired menu casts its spell
Josh Boutwood has been inspired by colors and Magellan’s journey to his very own cooking career when composing his thematic dinners for Helm. This time, he’s found inspiration in the things his two kids, son Phoenix, 8, and daughter Malaya, 16, find amusement in.
“Like most of Helm’s entertainment-themed menus, they stem from my children’s enjoyment, like ‘Star Wars.’ I was challenged by my son who thought I couldn’t make a menu inspired by the film,” the chef says.
“The kids got into the ‘Harry Potter’ saga while on vacation in Japan. I started rewatching the movies with them, and everything kind of just clicked. I could see ideas and dishes form while watching particular scenes and characters.”
He rewatched the films after that trip to ensure that he could do a proper ode to the fantasy film series and translate the stories into edible renditions as seen through his lens.
The idea of sitting through a much-loved epic wizardry story might sound fun, but for someone like him who has a demanding day job and keeps a busy schedule, finishing just one movie took up to a week. Still, he managed to release a menu that’s bewilderingly satisfying and can cast a spell on you.
To approach his progressive menu, he couldn’t rely on literal food references, as there aren’t too many featured or even mentioned within the “Harry Potter” universe. And so Boutwood handpicked multiple graphic scenes that translate into amazing culinary ideas instead like what he did for “Star Wars.”
“The challenge was to filter out the ideas and decide on one that references the book/movie in the most relatable way,” he says.
Sorting out ‘houses’
Before the multicourse meal is laid out, the diners get to pick an envelope, which will reveal which among the four houses of Hogwarts—Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin—they will belong to throughout the night. Consequently, each guest will get a slightly varied Spanish mackerel and coconut course distinguished by the tinted edible veils that range from green curry to yellow-orange saffron. This comes again during the middle of the tasting menu, where four kinds of butter come with their two savory breads.
For the third course, guests get introduced to the dementors, those tall, ghostly cloaked creatures capable of sucking people’s souls. The chef took inspiration from their dark and dreary qualities to come up with a duo of porridges—one seasoned with dill and lemon zest, and a squid ink risotto. The second is crowned with a crispy squid ink lavash made of sourdough.
Another character Boutwood references is the basilisk, a giant snake with the power to kill with its gaze. It appeared in the “Chamber of Secrets.” For this, he turns to eel from Mindanao that’s smoked, turned into mousse, and then encapsulated by a sorrel and green apple film. It’s accompanied by pickled Granny Smith apples, Japanese cucumber compressed in dill oil and chive emulsion, and, to mimic the scales of the reptile, shards of tapioca chips.
Breath of fresh air
In “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire,” there’s a significant scene where the lead character wins a golden egg during the Triwizard Tournament. That coveted prize is deliciously immortalized by a Wagyu beef ragú braised with red wine for a couple of hours, topped with a jammy 68-degree egg yolk gel, sun choke foam for lightness, and breadcrumbs for texture.
And then in “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows,” Harry uses the invisibility cloak (it plays a crucial role in his journey) for protection and to confront his nemesis Voldemort. The dish comes as a bowl covered with a dashi chip. Underneath is a bites-like-butter beef strip on a bed of celeriac purée with a sauce of smoked bacon, chanterelle mushrooms, and cognac.
“These fun themes that we do, which are only once a year and one out of the three themes at Helm, are seen as a breath of fresh air, for us to keep the mood light and fun and enjoy the process,” says Boutwood. “They strike a nice balance between some of the more serious themes or history-related themes that complete the year.”
Though whimsical, Boutwood’s talent is not lost on the guests, as his knack for balancing textures and flavors, as well as his cooking technique for the protein, is still on point. These are skills that, time and again, have proven to be notable aces up his sleeve.
The beef in his last savory course, for example, is prepared meticulously. The A5 Wagyu is cooked for 10 seconds and rested for a minute, and then the whole process is repeated for two hours to get a medium rare doneness throughout the steak.
I may not be a big fan of “Harry Potter” (I have never read a single book, and have seen just one movie that I didn’t even manage to finish), but I sure am a fan of Boutwood for consistently whipping up dishes that astound and impress—sans a magical wand.
Helm is located 3/F The Shops, Ayala Triangle Gardens, Makati Ave., Makati City, tel. 0915-9098647
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