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Shad cooks on oak planks at the Essex Rotary Club's annual shad bake

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It's shad time of the year again! They've swarmed upstream to Connecticut. The New England Shad Association alerted fishermen in April that the American shad were spotted at the mouth of the Connecticut River in Old Saybrook. The state fish of Connecticut, shad is the harbinger of spring and brings in its wake celebrations like the Shad Bake and the Shad Derby Festival. Shad is a seasonal delicacy to be enjoyed as a main course or side dish.

The annual Rotary Club Shad bake in Essex is all about good food, good drinks and good old baked shad with accompaniments like coleslaw, corn cobs or beans. Baking the shad, however, for so many people is no mean feat. The fish is de-boned and then nailed onto oak planks and here we are talking about fish for 700-1,000 people so imagine the magnitude of the entire procedure. The fillets are brushed with just butter and some seasoning and stacked up for roasting at the 16-foot-wide fire. The event ends with pouring the dripping pans of fish oil into the hot coals that gives a burst of color signifying the end of the celebration for another year. This year, on June 6, the celebrations assume greater importance as it is the event's 51st anniversary.

Apart from the shad bake, the Shad Derby Festival not only celebrates the fish but also promotes cleaning up of the Connecticut River. The derby, originally a month-long affair, was founded by members of the Windsor Rod and Gun Club 55 years ago. It comprises of a parade, a Shad Queen pageant, 5K road race, arts and crafts festivals, and, of course, the Shad Masters tournament. This year's Shad Derby Pageant was won by Danielle St. Jacques who was being sponsored by Four Seasons Landscaping, LLC.

And if you are a shad fan, but quietly so, you can always plan a trip to the Haddam Shad Museum. The museum is open only on Sundays from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. from mid-April through June. You can visit it at other times of the year by appointment. The museum is a small affair, and will take you 20 minutes to cover; you can loiter around for hours too if you like listening to stories of shad fishing and the tribulations of fishermen; stories of courage and determination, fish and friends and shad.

Shad was originally considered a poor man's food. However, as their population decreased, they assumed the importance of a delicacy.

Many people shy away from the shad as it is too bony; according to an old Indian legend a shad is like a porcupine inside-out! And it is not very far from the truth as a single fish has as many as 800 bones. If picking bones is not your scene, just poach or boil the fish and put the flakes in a salad or a sandwich.

Generally, shad doesn't need any elaborate cooking. If trying at home, you can just brush it with a little seasoning, butter and lemon juice or tomato sauce and garlic and you will have the yummiest fish preparation ever. And if cooking at home seems a lot of hassle, then try out some restaurants that feature the fish around the state.

Enjoy shad the way you feel comfortable. If George Washington was not daunted by its bones, why should you? After all, shad is not just a fish, it's a celebration of life!

Restaurants and events featuring shad:

51st Annual Shad Bake, Sat., Jun. 6, Essex Elementary School, 108 Main St., Centerbrook. 4:30 p.m., live music at 5 p.m. $20 adults, $8 children. Tickets at essexrotary.com.

O'Rourke's Diner, 728 Main St Middletown, (860) 346-6101. They do different things, sometimes a shad wrap. Dishes cost around $20.

Lenny & Joe's Fish Tale, 86 Boston Post Road, Westbrook, (860) 669-0767, ljfishtale.com. $15.95 shad dish, with two sides. They use this one local fisherman who's good at filleting. Supplies may run out by the end of May.

The River Tavern, 23 Main St., Chester, (860) 526-9417, rivertavernchester.net. $26 shad plate, often time slow-roasted, sometimes sautéed.

Max's Oyster Bar, 964 Farmington Ave., West Hartford, (860) 236-6299. Shad has been an entrée choice on their $24.95 three-course menu.

Max's Fish, 110 Glastonbury Blvd., Glastonbury, (860) 652-3474. Availability varies.

Firebox, 539 Broad St., Hartford, (860) 246-1222. $24, served with spring garlic soubise, pickled ramps, fiddlehead ferns and english peas (all local items).