Asparagus may be the harbinger of spring in these parts, but for real New Englanders, it's the Maine shrimp season that gets us over that last hump of winter and into the season of abundance.

Maine shrimp (also known as Northern shrimp because they are found in New Hampshire, Massachusetts and Canadian waters) usually hit the market sometime in late December and in years past have been available for up to six months. In recent years, a decrease in the shrimp supply forced regulators to restrict the season-it ran for just 35 days last year and only 25 days in 2001-but this year, after a substantial comeback from low numbers, the season has been extended to a whopping 70 days and the shrimp will be in markets until March 25.

Aaron You, staff member of Olde Mill Fish Market in Portsmouth, says the approach of the shrimp season creates plenty of excitement every year, but this year in particular, news of the extended season only added to the anticipation. "We definitely had people who were waiting for them," says You. "There's one guy who's been in almost every week. He bought 50 pounds a week for the first couple of weeks, then cut back to 50 pounds every two weeks," all, apparently, for personal consumption (hopefully he's sharing). You adds that he and his fellow staff members will peel 200-300 pounds a day (yielding about 80 pounds) for the next three weeks, selling 15-20 pounds of the freshly peeled morsels each day and freezing the rest for year-round availability.

You says the Olde Mill tries to feature New Hampshire-caught shrimp, brought in by local fishermen who trawl around Rye Harbor and out toward the Isles of Shoals. Some of the shrimp will also come from Maine waters. The shrimp are available whole (with heads and shells on), headless (with shells on), or peeled. Sue's Seafood in Kittery also sells very fresh whole Maine shrimp, as do a handful of other locations throughout the area.

Regulation stipulates that the shrimp can only be harvested Monday through Friday, so weekend supplies can sometimes be limited, and you're not enjoying that day's catch. Recent weekend purchases at both Olde Mill and Sue's have tasted fresh enough, but it's worth it to seek out a weekday catch and taste the shrimp the day they are harvested for the ultimate in flavor and texture.

The shrimp are easy enough to peel and definitely have more flavor when cooked in the shells. Also, if the shrimp are intended for a dish that calls for peeled shrimp, the shells can be used to make a rich shrimp stock which can then be used to make bouillabaisse or chowder, so it's a good idea to buy them whole if you can handle a little prep work. But if you are not inclined to deal with shrimp heads or shells, then by all means buy them peeled. They're still affordable, with the price rarely exceeding $7 per pound, and it's the perfect quick meal. Peeled, the shrimp need only pass over the flame for a few seconds before they are done. For quick scampi, toss the shrimp in a hot pan with garlic and butter and serve over linguini.

While it's great fun to cook the shrimp at home, local chefs definitely know how to treat these little delicacies. John Welch, executive chef of Little Louie's Fish Caf??, in Dover, features them in a Thai-influenced pan sauce and stresses the importance of adding them at the very last minute to allow the heat from the sauce to "just cook them through."

Evan Mallot of Lindbergh's Crossing incorporates Northern shrimp into a timbale that he binds with a simple egg custard, but he admits that his favorite way to prepare them is "saut??ed in olive oil and garlic" for about 30 seconds.

And Duncan Boyd of Victory 96 offers his recipe (below) for a classic shrimp bisque. The shrimp are cooked and pureed with the shells on, then passed through a very fine mesh strainer for the most incredible, concentrated shrimp flavor. Boyd's menu will feature Maine Shrimp Bisque with Chive Oil for the remainder of the season.

If the shrimp are very fresh, they can be eaten raw. Sake, Sakura and Taipei and Tokyo restaurants periodically offer Maine shrimp as a sushi special, or you can make a simple ceviche at home by tossing the shrimp with a squeeze of fresh lime juice, some minced cilantro and chiles, and a sprinkle of salt and pepper.

They also make the best shrimp cocktail, in spite of their diminutive proportions. Boston Globe writer Jonathan Levitt knew what he was talking about when he wrote recently, "Maine shrimp are the shrimpiest shrimp around, known for their sweetness and firm texture rather than for their impressive size." For shrimp cocktail, just bring a large pot of water to a boil (fresh seawater is ideal-otherwise throw in a couple of handfuls of sea salt). Add the whole shrimp to the boiling water, stir them around for about 30 seconds, then drain them, cool them under running water and peel.

My favorite way to eat them is saut??ed whole in butter with a little bit of sea salt and cracked pepper. The shrimp are tossed in the hot butter for a minute or two, just long enough for the shells to infuse the butter with an intense shrimp essence and for the butter to penetrate the shells and coat the little shrimp. The heads are popped off and sucked (like New Orleans crawfish), and the bodies are peeled and eaten right out of the shell. It's a messy way to eat shrimp, but worth the trouble. And with just 17 days left in this year's harvest, you better hurry. Then get ready for shad roe season. It's just around the corner.