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Consider this: the best baked eggs don’t ever hit the oven. During recipe development, I found that simply adding a lid generates steam that gently cooks the eggs, yielding tender delicately prepared egg with a tender white plus liquid yolk. The harsh, arid temperature of the oven proves harsher compared to steaming, often leading to dry everything out and overcook the yolk. Presenting two flavorful bases to get started, though feel free to experiment. One is a super-simple coconut turmeric blend, and the second offers a merguez ragu reimagines traditional spicy eggs, or, to the likes of you and me, eggs baked in spicy tomato sauce.

Turmeric Coconut Curry Baked Eggs (shown above)

Preparation 10 min
Cook 55 min
Serves 2

Olive oil
1 onion, trimmed and minced
Sea salt
Two garlic cloves, crushed and chopped
10g fresh ginger, minced ginger
1 tbsp ground turmeric
Toasted cumin
6-8 curry leaves
200ml coconut milk
400g tin chickpeas
A few basil leaves, plus extra to serve
Fresh eggs
2 green finger chillies, finely sliced, for serving

Use a heavy skillet on a medium-high heat. Drizzle olive oil, add the chopped onion with some salt, sauté for several minutes. Incorporate aromatics and spices, leave to sizzle, mixing now and then for three to four minutes, pour in creamy liquid including chickpea can contents. Let it bubble, reduce to a simmer, allow to cook slowly for 30-35 minutes, until thickened and deep yellow in colour. Season with salt, then stir in the basil leaves.

With a spoon’s back forming small wells in the sauce, add eggs individually. Sprinkle the top of each egg with a little salt, place a lid on the pan, gently heat for two to three minutes, until the whites are set and yolks warmed. Take off the heat, top with fresh herbs plus chili slices, and serve.

Merguez Ragu and Pickled Peppers Steamed Eggs

Prep 10 min
Cook Under an hour
Serves 2

Oil
2 merguez-style lamb sausages
Harissa paste
Cumin seeds
2 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
400g good-quality tinned tomatoes
Fine sea salt
Four eggs
1 handful pickled peppers, roughly chopped
1 small handful fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
Creamy yogurt
1 lemon, sliced into wedges, to serve

Heat a skillet at moderate temperature. Pour in oil and, once it’s warm, take off sausage casings and break off pieces adding to pan, resembling tiny meatballs. Lower temperature, cook until golden, releasing flavorful oils. Move sausage pieces as they cook, so they colour on all sides.

After browning, incorporate harissa, cumin, and garlic to the pan, increase to medium heat sauté while stirring, briefly, when fragrant, and garlic softens. Pour in tomato contents, add seasoning and bring to a simmer. Reduce to low heat and leave to blip away for twenty minutes. The ragu will reduce, intensify in color, while the oils split and rise to the top.

Use the back of a spoon making indentations in the sauce, then crack an egg into each. Dust with salt lightly salted, place lid on pan. Cook for two to three minutes gently, when eggs set with yolks runny.

Turn off stove, top with pickled peppers, herbs, yogurt dollop, and oil splash, and serve with lemon wedges.