Oxford's Florence Pugh appeared on Nick Grimshaw's Dish Podcast this week to discuss why she always has "the worst birthday in the world" and more importantly, roasties.
Recorded at Grimshaw's house in London, the star of Little Women, Oppenheimer and Dune Part 2 joined Nick and Angela Hartnett.
Oscar and Bafta nominated, Florence is one of her generation's most critically acclaimed and outspoken British actors and also a noted home cook in her own right.
After discussing cocktails, her family Christmas games and her mother twerking for Miley Cyrus, the conversation shifted to the January blues.
Christmas Dish with @Florence_Pugh coming this Wednesday ✨ pic.twitter.com/xVYwOexgu0
— nick grimshaw (@grimmers) December 17, 2023
"The worst birthday in the world"
Host Grimshaw asked: "When is your birthday?
"The worst birthday in the world. January 3rd. It's so bad," Pugh despondently replied.
"No one wants to get you anything because you have no money. No one wants to eat any more food because you're really full and fat. No one wants to come out, they want to stay home. Everybody’s started their no drinking, no eating, whatever carb-free thing they want to do, which sucks anyway.
"And also, people just don't like that time. I think everybody's very happy with being invested in being miserable."
Ever the optimist, Nick changed tactic: "Do you know what though, this year I'm not gonna approach January with the same January energy that I do. We have one every year, and we agree, as a world, to be like, oh yeah, let's be miserable.
"Poor January! I want to be January's PR manager. And first thing is, it's Florence Pugh month! That's what I'm calling it. Like, come on, like, let's just, can't be miserable every year."
A seemingly jubilant Pugh replied: "Thank you, thank you. I do, because it's so s***, my birthday, I do have a core group of friends that will always do something on the January 3rd. I never ever plan anything, and then the day before I'm always trying to hustle something together and trying to get everybody together.
florence pugh on film in 2023 pic.twitter.com/bUsTdDJZqt
— sophia (@hellopugh) December 19, 2023
"So now all of my mates always keep it free and now we- because it's so s***, we will always do something nice on the day, so- you couldn’t come to my one last year. I don't know I think you were busy or something."
Imagine turning down an invite to Florence Pugh's birthday? Well this year, Grimshaw won't be making the same mistake.
"Well, this year I'm very much free because I'm doing January’s PR. Please let's make Florence a tiramisu for her birthday. It'll be the only tiramisu made in January. Because that is not what you want for January. It's booze and cream and sugar," the Oldham-born presenter promised.
Florence on the best Christmas potatoes
The three also discussed Christmas recipes such as 'Granny Pat's Potion', a cocktail that Pugh got her grandmother hooked on. But also, roast potatoes.
A staple around the Christmas dinner table, British households always profess to know the best way of cooking the classic spud, but what was Pugh's take on the classic?
"So, I learned from my daddy's potatoes, and he uses goose fat. And he'll boil them, part boil them until they're like nearly falling apart, put them in the pan, and usually the, the, the goose fat has been like, warmed and oiled and all gooey and gorgeous and wet.
florence pugh for buzzfeed’s puppy interview pic.twitter.com/kxLBSyfYX3
— Florence Pugh Daily (@bestofpugh) March 28, 2023
"Then he'll get two forks and scratch them up or obviously just like shake them around in your pot. Salt, turn them over, put them in and then he'll turn them over again so that they're getting on all sides.
"But it was always growing up, it was goose fat. And he'd do them, sometimes he'd chop them really thin, so that you get like this crispy almost like a, like a hash. So he'd get a massive potatoes and slice them sideways, so you'd get this crispy, crispy thing.
"And then all of the bums of the potatoes would be extra crispy too."
Why not give these potatoes a whirl this year?
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