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So, hear me out: the best baked eggs are made without baking. When testing these recipes, realizing that using a cover produces a humid atmosphere to cook the top of the eggs, resulting in perfectly cooked perfectly poached egg with a tender white and flowing center. The harsh, arid temperature in conventional ovens proves harsher compared to steaming, and has a tendency to dry everything out and harden the yolk. Presenting two flavorful bases as inspiration, but get creative. The first features an easy golden coconut sauce, while the merguez ragu is a riff on traditional spicy eggs, essentially, eggs cooked in zesty tomato base.

Golden Coconut Sauce Baked Eggs (featured)

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

Extra virgin oil
1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
Salt
Two garlic cloves, crushed and chopped
Fresh ginger root, peeled and finely chopped
Golden spice
Cumin seeds
Curry leaves
200ml coconut milk
Canned chickpeas
Fresh basil, and additional for topping
Four eggs
Fresh chilies, thinly cut, for serving

Set a 25cm heavy cast-iron pot over medium-high flame. Add a shot of olive oil, add the chopped onion seasoned with salt, fry until softened. Incorporate aromatics and spices, leave to sizzle, occasionally stirring for three to four minutes, add coconut milk along with chickpeas and liquid. Let it bubble, lower heat to gentle cook, let it simmer about 35 minutes, until thick and golden. Season with salt, incorporate basil.

Employ a utensil making four indentations across the base, add eggs individually. Sprinkle the top of each egg with salt, place a lid on the pan, simmer over low heat for a few minutes, until egg whites firm and the yolks just warm. Take off the heat, garnish with more basil plus chili slices, then serve immediately.

Spicy Sausage Sauce and Pickled Peppers Steamed Eggs

Preparation 10 min
Cook 45 min
Yields Two portions

Olive oil
2 merguez-style lamb sausages
Harissa paste
Cumin seeds
2 garlic cloves, sliced thin
400g good-quality tinned tomatoes
Salt
Fresh eggs
Tangy peppers, coarsely cut
Fresh parsley, finely chopped
Creamy yogurt
Fresh lemon, sliced into wedges, for serving

Use a heavy pan on a medium heat. Add two tablespoons of olive oil and, once it’s warm, peel sausages and pinch small amounts adding to pan, like mini balls. Reduce heat, brown the meat slowly, so it renders out all that spicy, flavour-packed fat. Stir merguez while cooking, so they colour on all sides.

After browning, add the harissa, cumin seeds and sliced garlic to the pan, increase to medium heat sauté while stirring, for three to four minutes, when fragrant, and the garlic has lost its raw edge. Tip in the tomatoes, add seasoning and bring to a simmer. Reduce to low heat cooking gently for 20 minutes. Sauce will thicken, intensify in color, as oils separate.

With a spoon forming wells in the sauce, then crack an egg into each. Sprinkle the top of each egg with a little salt, then cover the pan with a lid. Simmer briefly on low flame, until the whites are set with yolks runny.

Take off the heat, top with pickled peppers, parsley, a blob of yoghurt, and a drizzle of oil, accompanied by lemon.