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So, hear me out: the best baked eggs are made without baking. When testing these recipes, discovering that covering the pan generates steam that gently cooks the eggs, yielding tender perfectly poached egg with a tender white plus liquid yolk. Direct oven heat of the oven proves harsher than steam, often leading to dehydrate ingredients and harden the yolk. I’ve given you two sauces as a jumping-off point, though feel free to experiment. One is a super-simple coconut turmeric blend, and the second offers a merguez ragu reimagines classic tomato-baked eggs, or simply put, spicy tomato eggs.

Golden Coconut Sauce Steamed Eggs (shown above)

Prep 10 min
Cook 55 min
Serves 2

Extra virgin oil
One medium onion, skinned and diced
Fine sea salt
Two garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
10g fresh ginger, grated ginger
Turmeric powder
Cumin seeds
Curry leaves
Creamy coconut
400g tin chickpeas
Basil leaves, plus extra to serve
Fresh eggs
Fresh chilies, julienned, for serving

Heat a cast-iron pan on a medium-high heat. Drizzle olive oil, toss in the onion and a pinch of salt, fry until softened. Incorporate aromatics and spices, let them sizzle, stirring occasionally for a few minutes, add coconut milk along with chickpeas and liquid. Let it bubble, then turn down to a simmer, let it simmer for half an hour, until thick and golden. Add salt to taste, mix in fresh basil.

With a spoon’s back forming small wells across the base, break eggs into each. Season eggs with salt, place a lid on the pan, simmer over low heat for a few minutes, until the whites are set and yolks warmed. Turn off stove, garnish with more basil and thinly sliced finger chillies, and serve.

Spicy Sausage Sauce and Pickled Peppers Steamed Eggs

Preparation 10 min
Cooking time 45 minutes
Serves Two portions

Oil
Merguez sausages
Harissa paste
1 tsp cumin seeds
Garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
Tomato base
Seasoning
Four eggs
Pickled peppers, coarsely cut
Chopped herbs, diced
Creamy yogurt
Fresh lemon, sliced into wedges, for serving

Use a heavy pan at moderate temperature. Add two tablespoons of olive oil when heated, take off sausage casings and pinch small amounts into the skillet, 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, so they colour on all sides.

After browning, mix in spices and garlic to the pot, adjust to moderate flame sauté while stirring, for several minutes, until aromatic, and the garlic has lost its raw edge. Tip in the tomatoes, season with salt and bring to a simmer. Lower to gentle simmer and simmer slowly about 20 minutes. The ragu will reduce, thicken and deepen in colour, with oils separating and surfacing.

With a spoon to create four little pockets within sauce, then crack an egg into each. Season eggs with salt, place lid on pan. Simmer briefly on low flame, when eggs set and yolks warmed.

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