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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 generates steam to cook the top of the eggs, delivering a gently cooked delicately prepared egg with a tender white and a warm, runny yolk. The harsh, arid temperature from baking proves harsher versus moist heat, typically causing making dishes dry and harden the yolk. Presenting two flavorful bases as inspiration, though feel free to experiment. The first features an easy turmeric coconut curry, while the merguez ragu is a riff on traditional spicy eggs, essentially, eggs baked in spicy tomato sauce.

Turmeric Coconut Curry Baked Eggs (shown above)

Prep A quick 10 minutes
Cook 55 minutes
Yields Two servings

Extra virgin oil
1 onion, skinned and diced
Fine sea salt
Two garlic cloves, crushed and chopped
Fresh ginger root, minced ginger
Golden spice
Cumin seeds
Curry leaves
Creamy coconut
Chickpeas
Fresh basil, plus extra to serve
Fresh eggs
Green chilies, finely sliced, for serving

Set a 25cm heavy cast-iron pot at moderate-high temperature. Add a shot of olive oil, toss in the onion and a pinch of salt, and cook for five to six minutes. Mix in garlic, ginger, and spices, leave to sizzle, occasionally stirring briefly, pour in creamy liquid including chickpea can contents. Let it bubble, reduce to a simmer, let it simmer for half an hour, until thickened and deep yellow in colour. Add salt to taste, then stir in the basil leaves.

Employ a utensil making four indentations across the base, then crack an egg into each. Season eggs with a little salt, then cover the pan with a lid, gently heat briefly, when whites are cooked and yolks warmed. Turn off stove, top with fresh herbs plus chili slices, then serve immediately.

Spicy Sausage Sauce with Tangy Peppers Steamed Eggs

Preparation 10 minutes
Cook 45 min
Serves Two portions

Oil
2 merguez-style lamb sausages
Spicy paste
1 tsp cumin seeds
Garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
Tomato base
Seasoning
4 eggs
Pickled peppers, coarsely cut
Chopped herbs, diced
Greek yogurt
1 lemon, sliced into wedges, as garnish

Heat a skillet over medium flame. Pour in oil and, once it’s warm, take off sausage casings forming small bits into the skillet, like mini balls. Lower temperature, cook until golden, releasing flavorful oils. Roll the merguez pieces around the pan during cooking, for even browning.

Once browned, add the harissa, cumin seeds and sliced garlic to the pot, adjust to moderate flame and cook, stirring, briefly, until the mix smells fragrant, 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 leave to blip away for twenty minutes. Sauce will thicken, thicken and deepen in colour, while the oils split and rise to the top.

Use the back of a spoon to create four little pockets within sauce, break eggs in. Dust with salt with a little salt, cover skillet. Heat for minutes over a low heat, when eggs set and the yolks just warm.

Take off the heat, finish with chopped pickled peppers, parsley and yogurt, and a drizzle of oil, and serve with lemon wedges.