When he’s in charge of pizza night, Saba follows a ritual: He starts the day before, making the dough from scratch, using no other flour but Tipo 00 (which is known for creating dough with a light, chewy texture). He budgets at least 12 hours for the dough to rise, and when he (and the dough!) is ready, he rolls and assembles one pizza at a time, pulling from several bowls of neatly prepared toppings, like a real pizzaiolo. Finally, he heats up his Ooni pizza oven to bake the pies. It’s a whole thing, and he is very proud of it. Needless to say, pizza night my husband’s way is not something that happens frequently. And yes, it’s special for that reason alone.
But this recipe is not that! And you might not approve of calling it “pizza,” but let’s just go with it. This is pizza night my way—lazy but delicious. It takes less than 15 minutes to assemble and does not require time for the dough to rise, nor a special oven. Made in a sheet pan, from phyllo dough and without sauce, it’s definitely not traditional. Yet the phyllo makes a light and flaky base for a simple assortment of veggies and cheeses.
This recipe is a summer favorite from Chef Chris Wiliams of Lucille’s Houston. Chris marinates a whole side of fish, (on the half shell means skin-on, scales-on) for 10 minutes and then quickly grills it skin-side down. His marinade is where the magic comes in. It’s elemental with freshly-squeezed lemon juice, thyme, garlic and the earthiness of smoked paprika. He serves it with coconut rice and a slightly wilted collard green salad. It’s summer eating at its best.
If you make this dish in tomato season, when colorful heirlooms are in markets everywhere just waiting to become dinner, you won’t really be surprised by its juicy profundity of flavors—a gorgeous mix of sweet, salty, pungent, and umami, all baked until golden and bubbling on top. But what’s so especially appealing about this dish is that it’s also amazing when made with, meh, out-of-season tomatoes, those hydroponic specimens that you buy because, well, waiting until July seems impossible. In both cases, the garlicky, lemony bread crumbs, anchovy oil, and Parmesan will work their magic, seasoning the vegetables while they roast. Serve this as a side dish, or make it the star of a light meal, with some crusty bread to mop up all those luscious, tangy juices.
This is one of my favorite ways to prepare fish, because it’s so light, easy, and flavorful.