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So, hear me out: the best baked eggs are made without baking. Through culinary experiments, I found that simply adding a lid creates a steamy environment that gently cooks the eggs, yielding tender perfectly poached egg with a tender white and flowing center. The intense, dry heat in conventional ovens acts stronger compared to steaming, and has a tendency making dishes dry and harden the yolk. Presenting two flavorful bases to get started, though feel free to experiment. Option one involves a straightforward golden coconut sauce, whereas the spicy sausage sauce puts a twist on traditional spicy eggs, or simply put, spicy tomato eggs.

Golden Coconut Sauce Steamed Eggs (featured)

Prep A quick 10 minutes
Cooking time 55 min
Yields Two servings

Olive oil
One medium onion, skinned and diced
Sea salt
2 garlic cloves, crushed and chopped
Fresh ginger root, minced ginger
Turmeric powder
Toasted cumin
6-8 curry leaves
200ml coconut milk
400g tin chickpeas
Basil leaves, plus extra to serve
Four eggs
Green chilies, thinly cut, 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. Add the garlic, ginger, turmeric, cumin seeds and curry leaves, leave to sizzle, mixing now and then for a few minutes, pour in creamy liquid along with chickpeas and liquid. Let it bubble, then turn down to a simmer, let it simmer about 35 minutes, until thickened and deep yellow in colour. Season with salt, mix in fresh basil.

With a spoon’s back forming small wells in the sauce, break eggs into each. Dust each egg with a little salt, then cover the pan with a lid, simmer over low heat for a few minutes, until egg whites firm and the yolks just warm. Remove from heat, garnish with more basil and thinly sliced finger chillies, ready to enjoy.

Merguez Ragu with Tangy Peppers Steamed Eggs

Preparation 10 minutes
Cook 45 minutes
Yields Two portions

Oil
Merguez sausages
Spicy paste
1 tsp cumin seeds
Garlic cloves, sliced thin
400g good-quality tinned tomatoes
Fine sea salt
Fresh eggs
1 handful pickled peppers, diced
1 small handful fresh flat-leaf parsley, diced
Creamy yogurt
1 lemon, wedge-cut, to serve

Set a 25cm heavy cast-iron pot at moderate temperature. Drizzle olive oil once hot, take off sausage casings and pinch small amounts of the meat into the pan, almost like little meatballs. Lower temperature, cook until golden, extracting spicy fats. Roll the merguez pieces around the pan as they cook, so they colour on all sides.

Once browned, add the harissa, cumin seeds and sliced garlic into the skillet, adjust to moderate flame and cook, stirring, for three to four minutes, when fragrant, with garlic cooked. Add tomatoes, add seasoning and bring to a simmer. Lower to gentle simmer cooking gently about 20 minutes. The ragu will reduce, become richer and darker, as oils separate.

With a spoon to create four little pockets across base, add eggs individually. Sprinkle the top of each egg lightly salted, cover skillet. Heat for minutes on low flame, until the whites are set and the yolks just warm.

Turn off stove, garnish with peppers, herbs, yogurt dollop, plus oil drizzle, and serve with lemon wedges.