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Consider this: the best baked eggs never require an oven. When testing these recipes, I found that simply adding a lid produces a humid atmosphere to cook the top of the eggs, resulting in perfectly cooked perfectly poached egg with firm whites and flowing center. Direct oven heat from baking proves harsher than steam, and has a tendency to dry everything out resulting in firm yolks. I’ve given you two sauces as inspiration, but get creative. The first features an easy golden coconut sauce, and the second offers a merguez ragu is a riff on traditional spicy eggs, or simply put, eggs baked in spicy tomato sauce.

Turmeric Coconut Curry Steamed Eggs (shown above)

Prep 10 minutes
Cooking time 55 minutes
Serves 2

Extra virgin oil
One medium onion, peeled and finely chopped
Sea salt
2 garlic cloves, minced garlic
Fresh ginger root, peeled and finely chopped
Golden spice
Toasted cumin
Aromatic leaves
Coconut milk
Canned chickpeas
Fresh basil, plus extra to serve
4 eggs
Fresh chilies, julienned, for serving

Use a heavy skillet at moderate-high temperature. Pour in some oil, incorporate onions seasoned with salt, fry until softened. Add the garlic, ginger, turmeric, cumin seeds and curry leaves, let them sizzle, stirring occasionally briefly, pour in creamy liquid along with chickpeas and liquid. Heat until boiling, then turn down to a simmer, allow to cook slowly about 35 minutes, until thickened and deep yellow in colour. Season with salt, mix in fresh basil.

Employ a utensil to create four little pockets within the sauce, then crack an egg into each. Dust each egg with salt, place a lid on the pan, simmer over low heat for two to three minutes, until the whites are set and yolks warmed. Remove from heat, top with fresh herbs and thinly sliced finger chillies, and serve.

Spicy Sausage Sauce and Pickled Peppers Baked Eggs

Preparation 10 minutes
Cooking time Under an hour
Yields Two

Oil
Merguez sausages
1 tbsp harissa
Toasted cumin
Garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
Canned tomatoes
Salt
4 eggs
Tangy peppers, roughly chopped
1 small handful fresh flat-leaf parsley, minced
3 tbsp thick Greek yoghurt
Fresh lemon, wedge-cut, as garnish

Heat a skillet on a medium heat. Drizzle olive oil when heated, remove the skins from the sausages forming small bits of the meat into the pan, almost like little meatballs. Reduce heat, brown the meat slowly, so it renders out all that spicy, flavour-packed fat. Stir merguez while cooking, for even browning.

When golden, add the harissa, cumin seeds and sliced garlic into the skillet, turn up the heat to medium sauté while stirring, for several minutes, until the mix smells fragrant, and the garlic has lost its raw edge. Add tomatoes, season with salt and bring to a simmer. Lower to gentle simmer and simmer slowly about 20 minutes. The ragu will reduce, become richer and darker, with oils separating and surfacing.

Employ utensil forming wells across base, break eggs in. Sprinkle the top of each egg with salt, then cover the pan with a lid. Heat for minutes gently, when eggs set and the yolks just warm.

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