Community eating tradition of seafood boils comes from Louisiana to Mumbai

The rooftop venue is decked up for a previous event

If you're the kind that reaches for a napkin and neatly lays it out on your lap the moment your food reaches your table, you might have a hard time reading this any further. A serious seafood boil - the kind that originated in Louisiana, USA in the early 20th century - is all about the crustaceans cracking, juices dripping, and hungry eaters with a cold beer in hand tucking into spice-drenched seafood laid out on the table with no cutlery in sight, says food entrepreneur Leeann D'Souza, who will bring the experience to a Bandra rooftop this weekend with her home cuisine collective, Nommers.

(From left) The seafood is sourced from markets like the Bandra Fish Market on Bazar Road; (right) a pot of seafood boil cooked by the team

There's a method to this culinary madness, she assures us. What begins with boiling a large pot of water, becomes a community exercise where 15 spices, including the quintessential Cajun are thrown in while the prawns, shrimp, and crabs start to soften. "When the boiling is done, the real party begins. You drain the water and lay it all out on a community table, where the crustaceans are further seasoned with bay leaf, garlic butter, and dry rub spice mixes," she reveals, adding that there's always enough for everyone - with her team of chefs, the organiser plans to boil at least 15 kg of each shellfish.

Crab and corn smothered in garlic butter and spices

"I was globe-trotting for work nearly half a decade ago when I was introduced to seafood boils in Texas, where they're popular even today. The towering heaps of seafood and the way the community came together to prepare for the boil reminded me of the fisherfolk community back home in Mumbai," D'Souza reveals. For the upcoming feast, the organiser is banking on her local network of fisherfolk from Chimbai, Khar Danda, and Versova to source fresh catch of variety like mud crabs, prawns, and clams. "The local variants add a flavourful twist to the tradition. My favourites from the platter, the crabs of Mumbai, for instance, are much sweeter than what you'd find in North America," she adds.

Leeann D'Souza

If you find the time to look away from the seafood extravaganza, you might even make a few new friends, we learn. "People are often hesitant in the beginning. They are probably wondering, ‘How do I look devouring food with my bare hands?' or ‘Should I ask for a fork?'. But when they see the other foodies getting hands-on at the table, their inhibitions fade away and it becomes a community activity. There are no judgments. You can pick what you want to eat and how you want to eat it," she signs off. There's a lesson for the world somewhere in there, if you ask us.

ON February 28 and March 1; 7 pm to 10 pm
AT Hava Rooftop, Khar Pali Road, Bandra West.
LOG ON TO district.in
ENTRY Rs 3,899