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Let me explain: the best baked eggs don’t ever hit the oven. When testing these recipes, I found that simply adding a lid creates a steamy environment that gently cooks the eggs, yielding tender perfectly poached egg with a tender white plus liquid yolk. Direct oven heat in conventional ovens proves harsher compared to steaming, typically causing making dishes dry and harden the yolk. I’ve given you two sauces as inspiration, but get creative. The first features an easy golden coconut sauce, and the second offers a merguez ragu reimagines classic tomato-baked eggs, or, to the likes of you and me, eggs cooked in zesty tomato base.

Turmeric Coconut Curry Baked Eggs (pictured above)

Prep 10 min
Cook Just under an hour
Serves 2

Olive oil
1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
Fine sea salt
Two garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
Fresh ginger root, peeled and finely chopped
Turmeric powder
½ tbsp cumin seeds
Aromatic leaves
Coconut milk
Chickpeas
Basil leaves, plus extra to serve
Four eggs
Green chilies, thinly cut, to serve

Set a 25cm heavy cast-iron pot over medium-high flame. Pour in some oil, incorporate onions seasoned with salt, and cook for five to six minutes. Add the garlic, ginger, turmeric, cumin seeds and curry leaves, allow to cook, stirring occasionally briefly, add coconut milk including chickpea can contents. Let it bubble, lower heat to gentle cook, and leave it to tick over for 30-35 minutes, when sauce is rich and yellow. Season with salt, then stir in the basil leaves.

Use the back of a spoon to create four little pockets across the base, then crack an egg into each. Sprinkle the top of each egg with a little salt, then cover the pan with a lid, gently heat for two to three minutes, when whites are cooked and the yolks just warm. Take off the heat, finish with a few extra basil leaves and thinly sliced finger chillies, ready to enjoy.

Spicy Sausage Sauce and Pickled Peppers Steamed Eggs

Preparation Quick prep
Cook 45 minutes
Yields Two portions

Olive oil
2 merguez-style lamb sausages
Harissa paste
Cumin seeds
Garlic cloves, minced garlic
Tomato base
Fine sea salt
Fresh eggs
1 handful pickled peppers, coarsely cut
Chopped herbs, minced
Greek yogurt
1 lemon, wedge-cut, for serving

Heat a skillet at moderate temperature. Add two tablespoons of olive oil when heated, peel sausages and pinch small amounts into the skillet, like mini balls. Lower temperature, cook until golden, releasing flavorful oils. Roll the merguez pieces around the pan during cooking, to brown evenly.

After browning, incorporate harissa, cumin, and garlic into the skillet, adjust to moderate flame sauté while stirring, for several minutes, until the mix smells fragrant, and garlic softens. Add tomatoes, season with salt heat to simmer. Lower to gentle simmer and simmer slowly for twenty minutes. The ragu will reduce, thicken and deepen in colour, while the oils split and rise to the top.

Use the back of a spoon to create four little pockets within sauce, break eggs in. Season eggs with salt, place lid on pan. Heat for minutes gently, until whites firm with yolks runny.

Take off the heat, garnish with peppers, herbs, yogurt dollop, and oil splash, with lemon on side.