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So, hear me out: the best baked eggs are made without baking. During recipe development, discovering that covering the pan generates steam that gently cooks the eggs, yielding tender delicately prepared egg with a tender white and flowing center. The intense, dry heat of the oven proves harsher than steam, typically causing to dehydrate ingredients resulting in firm yolks. Here are two sauce options as inspiration, encouraging customization. One is a super-simple turmeric coconut curry, while the merguez ragu puts a twist on eggs in purgatory, or simply put, eggs cooked in zesty tomato base.

Golden Coconut Sauce Baked Eggs (shown above)

Prep A quick 10 minutes
Cooking time Just under an hour
Yields 2

Extra virgin oil
One medium onion, trimmed and minced
Sea salt
Two garlic cloves, minced garlic
10g fresh ginger, minced ginger
Turmeric powder
Cumin seeds
Aromatic leaves
Creamy coconut
Chickpeas
A few basil leaves, with more for garnish
Four eggs
Green chilies, finely sliced, as garnish

Heat a cast-iron pan over medium-high flame. Add a shot of olive oil, incorporate onions and a pinch of salt, and cook for five to six minutes. Mix in garlic, ginger, and spices, let them sizzle, occasionally stirring for a few minutes, add coconut milk including chickpea can contents. Let it bubble, reduce to a simmer, let it simmer for 30-35 minutes, until thick and golden. Season with salt, incorporate basil.

Use the back of a spoon to create four little pockets in the sauce, break eggs into each. Season eggs with salt, cover the skillet, gently heat for a few minutes, until egg whites firm and the yolks just warm. Take off the heat, top with fresh herbs and sliced chilies, then serve immediately.

Merguez Ragu and Pickled Peppers Steamed Eggs

Prep 10 minutes
Cooking time Under an hour
Serves 2

Olive oil
Spicy lamb sausages
1 tbsp harissa
Cumin seeds
2 garlic cloves, sliced thin
Canned tomatoes
Seasoning
4 eggs
1 handful pickled peppers, diced
1 small handful fresh flat-leaf parsley, minced
3 tbsp thick Greek yoghurt
1 lemon, cut into wedges, for serving

Set a 25cm heavy cast-iron pot at moderate temperature. Drizzle olive oil and, once it’s warm, take off sausage casings and pinch small amounts of the meat into the pan, resembling tiny meatballs. Turn down the heat, then slowly brown the sausagemeat, so it renders out all that spicy, flavour-packed fat. Stir merguez during cooking, for even browning.

After browning, incorporate harissa, cumin, and garlic to the pan, adjust to moderate flame and cook, stirring, for several minutes, until the mix smells fragrant, and the garlic has lost its raw edge. Pour in tomato contents, season with salt let it bubble. Lower to gentle simmer and simmer slowly about 20 minutes. Sauce will thicken, become richer and darker, while the oils split and rise to the top.

With a spoon making indentations across base, add eggs individually. Sprinkle the top of each egg with a little salt, place lid on pan. Cook for two to three minutes gently, until the whites are set and the yolks just warm.

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