As march approaches, most of us are ready for warmer weather. We’ve had it with hats and gloves, shoveling the front walk, and being stuck indoors for months on end. The arrival of warmer weather means different things to different people; some look forward to golf season, others to beach season…I look forward to grilling season. However, with the wide variety of indoor grills currently on the market, grilling doesn’t have to wait for the summer to arrive. You can take the grilling experience indoors and get excellent results with minimal effort. In addition, the versatility of an indoor grill can yield some surprising dishes.

The most common method of indoor grilling is done with a grill pan. Grill pans rest on your stove burners and come in a variety of shapes—round, square, or rectangular. They vary in size depending on whether they are designed to utilize one or two burners of your stove. The most traditional (and long-lasting) grill pans

Photo Courtesy of Vincent Go

are made from cast iron, some with a special enameled coating, which provides a non-stick surface. Lodge and Le Creuset are among the oldest manufacturers of cast iron grill pans, however, in recent years, just about every cookware company has gotten in on the action. Calphalon, Cuisinart, and All-Clad, plus newer lines from television chefs like Rachael Ray and Mario Batali, make grill pans in a variety of sizes and styles, which are widely available in department stores, kitchen shops, and even some discount establishments.

Another popular type of indoor grill is a contact grill, which is an electric, countertop grill that provides heat from both the bottom and top surfaces (think panini press or the George Foreman Grill). These grills are useful for cooking a wide variety of foods, from burgers to veggies, but are bulky and can take up precious space in your kitchen cabinets. Most contact grills have a non-stick coating to minimize the need for fats or oils. Typically, the grills also have what is known as a “floating hinge” between the top and bottom cooking surfaces to accommodate foods with varying thicknesses. Contact grills are a great choice for those of you who want great grill marks, less fat, and easy clean up. Just plug it in, grill, and wipe clean.

The king of indoor grills is a built-in grill, which is usually part of a gas cooktop unit. It is the only indoor grill that uses an actual flame to cook food, but is also the most expensive option. Today, many of the new, high-end kitchens are being equipped with built-in grills. Some indoor grills are sold as an accessory to a range or stovetop, and are designed to be interchangeable with two or more regular burners. However, with the larger stovetops (48 inches and larger), grills are often a permanent fixture, and can be up to 24 inches wide. While built-in grills may give the most authentic outdoor grill flavor, they can also be difficult to clean. So, although it is convenient to flame-grill right in your kitchen, you don’t have the luxury of closing the grill cover and leaving the mess outside.

Proper ventilation is very important to keep in mind when doing any type of indoor grilling. Grilling creates quite a bit of smoke, and without your exhaust fan on high, you will definitely set off your smoke alarms. Even more importantly, when using a built-in grill, be certain to have a proper hood in place, in case of a flare-up. Improper use could result in a dangerous kitchen fire, so keep safety in mind when considering a built-in indoor grill.

Once you have all the grilling accessories, what’s for dinner? When we think about grilling, we often think of burgers and steaks. However, when grilling indoors, I tend to favor foods that are lower in fat. Items such as skinless, boneless chicken breasts, non-fatty seafood, and many types of vegetables are perfect for a grill pan because they tend not to splatter like, say, that steak you’ve been dreaming of all winter.

One of my favorite grill creations is a sauce for pasta made from grilled tomatoes (see recipe). I use a 10-inch square grill pan with side-walls to make this dish, since the tomatoes tend to release a fair amount of liquid while cooking. For this reason, this dish is better suited to an indoor grill. Attempt this on your outdoor grill and all the delicious juices will drip right down onto your grilling elements. You may use any type of smaller-sized tomatoes for this recipe, but I like using cherry tomatoes, which sometimes are sold on the vine as “cocktail tomatoes.” Grilling the tomatoes renders them soft and sweet, and when tossed with hot pasta, basil, and fresh mozzarella cheese, the result is a colorful, tasty dish, which will redefine the way you think of using your grill pan.

I also love shrimp on the grill. Skewering the shrimp facilitates even cooking and turning, in addition to making a nice final presentation. Shrimp is low in fat and cooks quickly, making it a delicious, healthy, weeknight meal. One of my favorite ways to prepare shrimp is with a mint pesto (see recipe). To grill the skewers, I use a flat grill pan, which extends over two burners on my stove, and provides a large cooking surface. Brushing the shrimp with mint pesto gives this dish great color and flavor, and helps keep the skewers from sticking to the grill pan. Serve the grilled shrimp over some couscous, and you have a simple, quick meal.

Grilled foods can be enjoyed all year long when you add an indoor grill to your collection of kitchen accessories. By thinking beyond burgers, you may be pleasantly surprised at the wide variety of dishes you can create with a versatile grill pan.

Tracy Holleran is a freelance writer and owner of The Secret Ingredient Cooking School.  She lives in Fairfield and can be found at www.TheSecretIngredientOnline.com.