20 Questions with Paul
Paul Smith is an ambassador of his hometown Charleston, West Virginia and recognized affectionately as Chef Paul wherever he goes. In his words, he’s from a huge large Italian family where they had Sunday dinner every week in Boomer, West Virginia. He was studying hospitality management out of state, then returned home to study in professional kitchens before diving in to the Culinary Institute of America. After zigzagging around the country, gaining experience with some enviable cooking adventures, Chef Paul landed back at home in 2007.
Paul and I first met in the kitchen at Lola’s, our mutual friend Cary’s pizza restaurant. When Cary’s maternity leave had her exiting sooner than expected, a team of friends held down the fort. Paul anchored the crew and it is by his side that I learned the fine muscle building art of hand shaping two pizza dough balls at a time. He could triple time anyone in the kitchen!
Chef Paul became well established as an expert on all things food and just before the world went a little haywire, he was embarking on three Charleston area restaurant projects. As we were talking at 1010 Bridge as evening service was about to begin, he picked up a call for his regular Monday afternoon radio interview. I heard him say, “It’s a tough time right now. The entire industry is in jeopardy. I'm not super optimistic that things are gonna change anytime soon.” When the call wrapped up he resumed with me, “our food is GOOD! We pay attention to the details, it’s the experience” regarding the Bridge Road spot, adding “this is the food I like to cook. The Pitch is the food I like to eat.” (upscale bar food). His third restaurant is Barkadas, a collaboration of four friends that introduces its diners fo Phillippine island staples kissed with additional influences. As I visit this charming town I left four years ago, my first stop was Barkadas. Don’t miss it!
What’s your 20 minute recipe? When I don’t have time to cook, this is what I make. I get salmon from Joe’s (now General Steak and Seafood). I make a little salmon slather with mayo, dijon, lemon zest and juice, salt and pepper. I quick sear the salmon first then turn it over and put on the slather and finish it in a hot oven. It’s literally like 5 minutes. We actually have a version of it on the menu here (at 1010 Bridge).
What’s your favorite city? Charleston, South Carolina. I really like the scene there.
What’s your Favorite restaurant in your current city? I’m partial. If it’s not one of my three, I’d say Sam’s for what it is: good food, everything is solid!
Treasured find in the back of your fridge? I have some weird stuff in there. I found some rendered foie gras fat in the freezer. I rendered it together with some butter and JQ Dickinson salt and spread it on some good toast.
Who taught you to cook? My grandfather. He was a chemist and he did Friday night Italian nights at the Glen Ferris Inn. I stood on a milk crate and stirred the sauce. I wish I had paid more attention and written down the recipes.
What’s your go-to dish for company? Pimiento cheese with some sort of grilled meat, probably ribeye.
What’s on your cooking playlist? A lot of old school hip hop, A Tribe Called Quest, De La Soul, WuTang Clan, Diggable Planets.
Coffee, tea, or Kombucha? Pardon?! Coffee on coffee, as I’m having my seventh cup of the day. I’m alternating coffee and Topo Chico.
Date night--at home? or out? Date night OUT. I’m not of those chefs who sits there and tries to critique the place. Well, maybe I do it in my head.
Most stained cookbook? The little green Lebanese cookbook with the black binder form the Greek Orthodox Church. Also I’m a big fan of Tyler Florence.
Surf? or Turf? TURF. Spinalis, cap of the ribeye.
Indispensable kitchen tool? French knife, 8-inch chef’s.
Staple childhood comfort food? Pastina, little pearl pasta with a tiny bit of Parmesan cheese and either chicken broth if I’m sick or butter if I’m feeling frisky.
Who would you most like to share a meal with? past, present or fictional? Julia Child and Jennifer Garner. I would really like to be on Jennifer Garner’s Pretend Cooking Show. I like watching her because she is so smart and fun. She’s so down to earth and successful, very approachable. I would love to talk to her about our shared love of West Virginia.
What’s your go-to butter? Plugra
Ideal grilled cheese? Good bread, a really nice pullman loaf with white American and good Tillamook cheddar, a slice of tomato and mayo on the inside, butter on the outside.
Favorite pizza topping? Cupping pepperoni, it gives you a charred edge with a little grease shot. We do it at The Pitch.
Where would you want to take a cooking class? El Bulli.
What’s your Counter Intelligence cooking tip? Keep it simple. Pat dry, S&P, hard sear. For anything!
Three things next to your stove? Olive oil, salt and pepper
Best meal in an airport? Rick Bayless’s Torta Frontera in Chicago.
Do you take any ingredients with you when you travel? No, I like to bring things back.
What’s your go-to olive oil? Napa Valley Olive Oil Company and I really like the Villa DiTrapano. They are really different.
Favorite Sports Team? I like watching any of the EPL (English Premier League)
Salmon Chef Paul’s way. My interpretation: served with the best of late summer from Capitol Market and Charleston Bread, cooked in my friend Pam’s kitchen. Happy Cooking indeed!
Chef Paul’s Seared Salmon
“Serve this with some simple seasonal things on the side. Beautifully seasoned jewel lettuce salad or a fall-ish root vegetable succotash. My philosophy: cook as seasonally as possible, do as little as possible.”
For four skin-on salmon filets, combine 2 tablespoons mayonnaise, 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard, zest of 1 lemon, juice of ¼ lemon (cube or slice the remainder for the top), ¼ teaspoon salt and a couple good cracks of pepper (white pepper preferred).
Heat your oven to 425 and heat a large oven-proof/cast iron skillet over a medium high burner. Season the flesh side of the salmon filets with salt and pepper. When the skillet is HOT, lay the filets in the skillet flesh side down and sear for a good minute. Turn them over skin side down and top each with some of the mayo mixture, spreading with a brush. Slide the skillet into the oven and roast the filets for a few minutes until the top is golden and the fish is as done as you like. If you want a bubbling top ‘crust’ hit it with the broiler for no more than a minute so as not to over cook the fish. Happy Cooking!
