Cookery programs on TV

Does anyone watch these cookery programs like Masterchef?
I do. And I watch these chefs cook a piece of meat, colour it all over in a frying pan with loads of butter and then they bung the whole lot in the oven. Sometimes they say: "For just 5 minutes". But nobody ever says what temperature the ovens are set.
Anybody know?

Re: Cookery programs on TV

Hi Catharina yes I watch them .
The temperature of the oven will depend on what the meat is but I would guess around 200c .

A lot of the meat they serve is far too rare for me .

Re: Cookery programs on TV

As they don't cook the meat just heat it on the outside it's probably a hottish oven gas 6-7. If they were going to cook it properly it would be much lower and longer.

Re: Cookery programs on TV

Thank you, Meg and Julie, I've often wondered.
There are many mysteries in my life.
Another one is: What happens to all the lovely sprout tops when they harvest the sprouts? My local farm-shop sells them and they're very popular, I love ther tight tops and the tiny sprouts still attached to them, my favourite vegetable, but I've never seen them in the supermarket.

Re: Cookery programs on TV

Oh such waste because I am guessing they are not eaten and like you I love them.

Re: Cookery programs on TV

Keep in mind too that the ovens and deep fat fryers they are using (as James Martin frequently points out) are commercial ones capable of reaching far higher temperatures than normal domestic appliances.
Its best to look up the recipe on the relevant web site where, usually, the cooking times given have been adjusted for normal domestic ovens.

Re: Cookery programs on TV

Wonder why they're not sold, do people not know about them perhaps.
Must admit, when I lived in London I'd not heard about them either.

Re: Cookery programs on TV

Just been informed waitrose do them at the right time of year and various organic boxed vegetable sellers include them too. Posh friend round

Re: Cookery programs on TV

We have a small Waitrose in our village (it's the only shop we have !) but it's probably too small for things not everybody wants.
Keep telling myself: You can't have everything !!

Re: Cookery programs on TV

I love sprout tops shredded and cooked in a tiny drop of water and knob of butter until all the water has evaporated (I expect they would say 'wilted' on Masterchef ) you can buy them in the local greengrocers here , I haven't noticed them in Waitrose.