Westminster’s tips for a perfect Christmas lunch

LONDON — All is quiet in London’s SW1 as the U.K.’s politicians, officials, journalists and assorted Westminster creatures are busy brining turkeys or sipping early morning Buck’s Fizz.

Luckily for you, POLITICO is still here to bring you inside the room where it happens — even today.

We asked Westminster’s biggest names for their favorite Christmas cooking tip — including what to drink while slaving over the oven for the next 12 hours.

All the trimmings

Keir Starmer, prime minister: Playbook made attempts to get an answer out of Starmer … but he must not have been feeling festive this year. 

Kemi Badenoch, Tory leader: Alcohol and butter make everything better.

Rachel Reeves, chancellor: Christmas Day is always very traditional with me cooking turkey and all the trimmings for six of us. On Boxing Day, I will be cooking for the wider family. My tip this year is to make port and Stilton gravy if you’re doing beef — as we are on Boxing Day. The Christmas cake was made in advance, but is iced on Christmas Eve.

Wes Streeting, health secretary: If you’re looking for a show-stopping ham for Boxing Day, look no further than Nigella’s ham in Coca-Cola. It sounds disgusting, but it is the nicest ham I’ve ever prepared. 

Kay Burley, Sky News host: Northern girls love gravy and all my guests also do when I add mustard at the start and a dollop of jam just before I serve. I also always make Eton Mess (of Brexit) as we call it in our house!

Nigel Farage, Reform UK leader: Get to the pub at midday. Queue outside, I do, knocking on the door, “come on open up.” I’ve done it since I was 18 and I’ve no intention of stopping. My tip is to not stay too long; otherwise, people at home cooking Christmas lunch get very upset.

Steve Reed, environment secretary: I’m barbecuing the turkey this year, so I can’t tell you yet whether that’s a top tip or a total disaster! Other than that — brining the turkey overnight massively improves the flavor.

Liz Truss, ex-prime minister: My top tips for the perfect roast potatoes — don’t peel them, don’t parboil them and don’t even worry about preheating the oven. Simply cut them into chunks and put them straight into a roasting pan lined with olive oil or goose fat and put them in the oven. To ensure the perfect crispy exterior, just give them a good shake halfway through cooking.

Wait, what, pizza?

Rain Newton-Smith, CBI chief executive: With a blend of vegetarians and carnivores in the family, we started a new tradition of homemade pizza from scratch for our Christmas meal during lockdown and have kept it going. There is nothing like the smell of rising dough when you come back from a Christmas walk and we all get to put on our favorite toppings together.

Mel Stride, shadow chancellor: Mine would be cocktail-related as one of my proudest possessions is my cocktail cabinet! I would recommend a spiced Negroni for Christmas. Classic Negroni, but use gin spiced with star anise, cinnamon and nutmeg.

Darren Jones, chief secretary to the Treasury: My favorite cocktail is a simple Negroni — equal measures of gin (ideally Plymouth, infused in the fridge with cinnamon, star anise, cloves and bay leaf for a festive twist), Campari and sweet vermouth; stirred with ice and a slice of orange. But my unexpected new skill of 2024 has been making mezcal cocktails. Swap out the gin for mezcal for a more earthy and smoky Negroni, more fitting for winter than the summery original.

David Lammy, foreign secretary: Add a serving of Guyanese pepperpot to the side of your  Christmas turkey. My aunt bringing this around always puts our family in the festive mood.

Scarlett Maguire, director at JL Partners: My dog Merlin will only eat meat that I have personally cooked, so I will be making a special bit of turkey for her (a whole separate turkey crown to roast, which is obviously ridiculous but will feed her for days). My tip is to get a cute dog, but to avoid spoiling them so much that they will only eat luxury meals.

Ed Davey, Lib Dem leader: Christmas Day is my birthday so I insist on Yorkshire puddings whatever the fare — and to make great Yorkshires you need a super hot oven and tins with very hot oil.

Laura Trott, shadow education secretary: My best Christmas cooking tip is curry paste in your gravy, it’s a Trott family tradition.

Spuds and puds

Sadiq Khan, mayor of London: Christmas is the time for cracking out the old recipes, but don’t be afraid of a little change and sprucing up your dinner. A little flavored butter in your turkey, chestnuts in your sprouts and try out a little festive spice in your sides — and don’t scrimp on the black pepper.

Jacob Rees-Mogg, reality TV star: My best tip would be not to seek my advice on culinary matters.

Jane Hartley, U.S. ambassador to London: At my holiday receptions at Winfield House, I have started a tradition that brings a little taste of home to London by serving a classic cocktail: the Manhattan. And if that’s too strong, we’re always ready to serve up a warm cup of tea (heated in the microwave, of course). I also serve another American tradition: my favorite burger from my hometown of New York City.

Stephen Bush, FT associate editor: Parboil your potatoes then roast them in sunflower oil. It makes them a lovely texture outside, but unlike goose fat means they still taste like actual potatoes.

Michael Gove, Spectator editor: This year you should try making clootie dumpling — a classic Scottish Christmas dessert. It’s like a less flamboyant Christmas pudding, which you also get to drown in custard.

Luciana Berger, Labour peer: It’s only the fifth time in over a century that Christmas and the first day of Hanukkah coincide. We’ll be bringing the two traditions together with roast turkey, all the veg, and some super crispy potato latkes. For the best latkes, all the liquid has to be squeezed out of the grated potato, before they are fried in the hottest of oil.

Jessica Elgot, the Guardian’s deputy political editor: My cooking tip is when you deep fry latkes, you put a little nub of unpeeled carrot in the center of the pan. It picks up all the little black bits as you deep fry the potato latke.

Ed Balls, GMB host: Yorkshire puddings work well with every roast including turkey on Christmas Day — ignore the “roast beef only” zealots. The key is really hot oil in really hot tins, at least 220 in a fan oven. I do 85 milliliters plain flour, two eggs, 130 milliliters milk plus a splash of water and salt and pepper and cook the batter in the super hot tins for 15 minutes. Success guaranteed!

Yvette Cooper, home secretary: My tip is to get Ed to cook!

Nigel Huddleston, Tory chair: Don’t boil Brussels sprouts but fry them with bacon, chestnuts and a bit of brown sugar.

Lizzy Buchan, the Mirror’s political editor: Top tip from my house is special scrambled eggs for Christmas morning — with a hefty dose of double cream and white pepper. Start the day as you mean to go on!

Emily Thornberry, Labour MP: I make my Irish grandmother’s Christmas pudding on “Stir up Sunday” and soak the fruit in brandy the night before cooking it. It contains a potato. I always make an extra one with the idea of also eating it at Christmas the next year. It always goes green and gets thrown out. This year it hasn’t. We are going to see. Pray for us!

Jonathan Reynolds, business secretary: Cook your Yorkshire puddings first, then put them back in the oven to heat up for a few minutes before serving. It’s a game-changer.

Corbyn: don’t waste food

Steve Swinford, the Times’ political editor: Ditch the turkey and do a joint you actually love! This year will be lamb stuffed with rosemary and garlic with all the trimmings. We also ditch the Christmas pudding for sticky toffee pudding. Delicious. Happy Christmas, everyone.

Andrew Griffith, shadow business and trade secretary: The best roast parsnips involve proper butcher’s goose fat, removing the cores before roasting and then serving tossed with honey, mustard and finely chopped bacon lardons.

Alex Wickham, Bloomberg’s political editor: Get everyone else out of the kitchen to avoid rows and podcasts. Put honey and soy sauce on your sprouts. Lemon juice and fresh parsley on your carrots and parsnips. Gravy and bread sauce from scratch. Nice loaf for a sandwich the next day. And no need to rush — it’s Christmas.

Bridget Phillipson, education secretary: For perfect, crisp roast potatoes — coat the parboiled potatoes in cornflour before putting them in the oven.

Andrew Mitchell, Tory MP: On Christmas Day the Mitchell family waits for the start of their festivities until the king’s speech at 3 p.m. — perhaps appropriately for the member of parliament for Royal Sutton Coldfield. This year we will kick off with one of the finest English “Champagnes” from the Chilworth Manor vineyards in the heart of the Surrey hills!

Miatta Fahnbulleh, energy minister: A bit of jerk seasoning on the turkey. Gives it a real kick! 

Jeremy Corbyn, Independent MP: Firstly, for Brussels sprouts, if you must have them at all, use salt and some olive oil. Secondly, don’t waste food — there is always tomorrow.

Ben Riley-Smith, The Telegraph’s political editor: My personal favorite is making mulled cider. The secret key ingredient is pomegranate seeds. They turn the brew a lush red and burst with juice when consumed.

Catherine West, foreign minister: I made a batch of Christmas puddings at October half-term which are ready for steaming on Christmas Day and to give away as gifts. Definitely to be served with brandy butter as opposed to brandy sauce.

Craig Beaumont, the Federation of Small Businesses executive director: I’d suggest serving honey roast parsNICs (sorry) and turkey — preferably from a British family farm!

Lucy Powell, leader of the House of Commons: For the perfect Christmas gravy, add port to the turkey juices and trivet (a baking tray with all the veg and stuff you put under the bird/roast) first, before making the gravy.

Tom McTague, UnHerd’s political editor: Don’t open the Champagne too early, start cooking and set the kitchen on fire as once happened to one member of my family!