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Let me explain: the most delicious egg dishes are made without baking. During recipe development, I found that simply adding a lid creates a steamy environment that gently cooks the eggs, yielding tender soft-cooked egg with firm whites and flowing center. The intense, dry heat in conventional ovens proves harsher versus moist heat, often leading to dry everything out and overcook the yolk. I’ve given you two sauces to get started, though feel free to experiment. One is a super-simple turmeric coconut curry, while the merguez ragu is a riff on classic tomato-baked eggs, or simply put, eggs baked in spicy tomato sauce.

Turmeric Coconut Curry Steamed Eggs (shown above)

Prep 10 min
Cooking time 55 minutes
Yields 2

Olive oil
One medium onion, skinned and diced
Fine sea salt
2 garlic cloves, crushed and chopped
10g fresh ginger, grated ginger
Golden spice
Cumin seeds
Aromatic leaves
200ml coconut milk
Chickpeas
Basil leaves, and additional for topping
Four eggs
2 green finger chillies, finely sliced, as garnish

Use a heavy skillet over medium-high flame. Pour in some oil, toss in the onion and a pinch of salt, sauté for several minutes. Incorporate aromatics and spices, leave to sizzle, stirring occasionally for a few minutes, then tip in the coconut milk and the chickpeas and their tin liquid. Heat until boiling, then turn down to a simmer, allow to cook slowly for 30-35 minutes, until thickened and deep yellow in colour. Adjust seasoning, incorporate basil.

Use the back of a spoon making four indentations in the sauce, break eggs 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, until the whites are set and the yolks just warm. Remove from heat, finish with a few extra basil leaves and thinly sliced finger chillies, ready to enjoy.

Merguez Ragu and Pickled Peppers Baked Eggs

Prep Quick prep
Cooking time Under an hour
Serves Two

Oil
Merguez sausages
1 tbsp harissa
Cumin seeds
Garlic cloves, minced garlic
Tomato base
Seasoning
Fresh eggs
1 handful pickled peppers, roughly chopped
1 small handful fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
Creamy yogurt
1 lemon, cut into wedges, for serving

Heat a skillet on a medium heat. Add two tablespoons of olive oil once hot, remove the skins from the sausages and pinch small amounts into the skillet, resembling tiny meatballs. Lower temperature, brown the meat slowly, so it renders out all that spicy, flavour-packed fat. Stir merguez while cooking, to brown evenly.

When golden, add the harissa, cumin seeds and sliced garlic into the skillet, adjust to moderate flame sauté while stirring, for three to four minutes, until the mix smells fragrant, with garlic cooked. Tip in the tomatoes, add seasoning let it bubble. Turn down the heat to low and simmer slowly for 20 minutes. The ragu will reduce, become richer and darker, as oils separate.

Employ utensil to create four little pockets within sauce, add eggs individually. Sprinkle the top of each egg with a little salt, cover skillet. Cook for two to three minutes on low flame, until the whites are set and yolks warmed.

Remove from heat, garnish with peppers, herbs, yogurt dollop, and a drizzle of oil, accompanied by lemon.