🔗 Share this article

Let me explain: the best baked eggs don’t ever hit the oven. When testing these recipes, discovering that covering the pan produces a humid atmosphere for cooking the egg tops, resulting in perfectly cooked delicately prepared egg with firm whites plus liquid yolk. Direct oven heat of the oven acts stronger compared to steaming, often leading making dishes dry resulting in firm yolks. Presenting two flavorful bases as inspiration, encouraging customization. Option one involves a straightforward coconut turmeric blend, while the merguez ragu is a riff on eggs in purgatory, or, to the likes of you and me, eggs baked in spicy tomato sauce.

Golden Coconut Sauce Steamed Eggs (shown above)

Preparation 10 minutes
Cooking time Just under an hour
Serves Two people

Extra virgin oil
One medium onion, skinned and diced
Salt
2 garlic cloves, minced garlic
10g fresh ginger, minced ginger
1 tbsp ground turmeric
½ tbsp cumin seeds
Curry leaves
200ml coconut milk
Chickpeas
Fresh basil, plus extra to serve
Fresh eggs
Fresh chilies, julienned, to serve

Use a heavy skillet at moderate-high temperature. Add a shot of olive oil, incorporate onions seasoned with salt, and cook for five to six minutes. Add the garlic, ginger, turmeric, cumin seeds and curry leaves, allow to cook, stirring occasionally for three to four minutes, pour in creamy liquid including chickpea can contents. Heat until boiling, lower heat to gentle cook, let it simmer for 30-35 minutes, when sauce is rich and yellow. Add salt to taste, incorporate basil.

With a spoon’s back forming small wells across the base, break eggs into each. Sprinkle the top of each egg lightly salted, cover the skillet, gently heat for two to three minutes, until the whites are set with yolks still runny. Take off the heat, garnish with more basil and thinly sliced finger chillies, then serve immediately.

Spicy Sausage Sauce and Pickled Peppers Steamed Eggs

Preparation 10 min
Cook Under an hour
Serves 2

Oil
Merguez sausages
Spicy paste
Cumin seeds
Garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
400g good-quality tinned tomatoes
Fine sea salt
Fresh eggs
1 handful pickled peppers, roughly chopped
Chopped herbs, finely chopped
3 tbsp thick Greek yoghurt
1 lemon, cut into wedges, to serve

Set a 25cm heavy cast-iron pot over medium flame. Add two tablespoons of olive oil when heated, peel sausages and break off pieces into the skillet, almost like little meatballs. Lower temperature, cook until golden, so it renders out all that spicy, flavour-packed fat. Roll the merguez pieces around the pan as they cook, for even browning.

After browning, incorporate harissa, cumin, and garlic into the skillet, adjust to moderate flame sauté while stirring, for three to four minutes, until the mix smells fragrant, with garlic cooked. Pour in tomato contents, add seasoning let it bubble. Turn down the heat to low cooking gently for 20 minutes. Sauce will thicken, become richer and darker, with oils separating and surfacing.

Employ utensil forming wells in the sauce, add eggs individually. Season eggs with a little salt, cover skillet. Heat for minutes on low flame, until the whites are set and yolks warmed.

Remove from heat, garnish with peppers, herbs, yogurt dollop, plus oil drizzle, with lemon on side.