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Let me explain: the best baked eggs never require an oven. During recipe development, realizing that using a cover produces a humid atmosphere for cooking the egg tops, delivering a gently cooked delicately prepared egg featuring set whites plus liquid yolk. The harsh, arid temperature in conventional ovens acts stronger versus moist heat, and has a tendency to dehydrate ingredients and harden the yolk. Here are two sauce options to get started, encouraging customization. One is a super-simple turmeric coconut curry, while the merguez ragu reimagines eggs in purgatory, or simply put, eggs baked in spicy tomato sauce.

Golden Coconut Sauce Baked Eggs (pictured above)

Preparation 10 min
Cooking time Just under an hour
Yields 2

Extra virgin oil
1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
Salt
Two garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
10g fresh ginger, minced ginger
Golden spice
½ tbsp cumin seeds
6-8 curry leaves
Creamy coconut
400g tin chickpeas
Fresh basil, plus extra to serve
Fresh eggs
Fresh chilies, finely sliced, for serving

Use a heavy skillet over medium-high flame. Drizzle olive oil, toss in the onion and a pinch of salt, and cook for five to six minutes. Incorporate aromatics and spices, allow to cook, occasionally stirring for a few minutes, pour in creamy liquid along with chickpeas and liquid. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and leave it to tick over for half an hour, until thick and golden. Adjust seasoning, then stir in the basil leaves.

Use the back of a spoon forming small wells within the sauce, then crack an egg into each. Season eggs with salt, cover the skillet, and cook on a low heat briefly, until the whites are set with yolks still runny. Take off the heat, top with fresh herbs and thinly sliced finger chillies, then serve immediately.

Spicy Sausage Sauce with Tangy Peppers Steamed Eggs

Prep 10 min
Cooking time 45 min
Yields Two

Oil
Spicy lamb sausages
Harissa paste
Toasted cumin
Garlic cloves, sliced thin
Canned tomatoes
Seasoning
Fresh eggs
Pickled peppers, diced
Fresh parsley, diced
3 tbsp thick Greek yoghurt
Fresh lemon, cut into wedges, for serving

Set a 25cm heavy cast-iron pot on a medium heat. Add two tablespoons of olive oil and, once it’s warm, remove the skins from the sausages and pinch small amounts adding to pan, almost like little meatballs. Turn down the heat, brown the meat slowly, releasing flavorful oils. Roll the merguez pieces around the pan as they cook, for even browning.

After browning, add the harissa, cumin seeds and sliced garlic to the pan, adjust to moderate flame and cook, stirring, for three to four minutes, until aromatic, and the garlic has lost its raw edge. Add tomatoes, add seasoning heat to simmer. Reduce to low heat cooking gently about 20 minutes. Sauce will thicken, intensify in color, while the oils split and rise to the top.

Employ utensil to create four little pockets across base, add eggs individually. Sprinkle the top of each egg with a little salt, cover skillet. Heat for minutes gently, until the whites are set and yolks warmed.

Take off the heat, garnish with peppers, parsley, a blob of yoghurt, and a drizzle of oil, with lemon on side.