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So, hear me out: the most delicious egg dishes are made without baking. When testing these recipes, discovering that covering the pan produces a humid atmosphere that gently cooks the eggs, yielding tender perfectly poached egg featuring set whites and flowing center. The intense, dry heat of the oven acts stronger compared to steaming, typically causing making dishes dry and harden the yolk. Presenting two flavorful bases as a jumping-off point, though feel free to experiment. The first features an easy turmeric coconut curry, and the second offers a merguez ragu puts a twist on classic tomato-baked eggs, or simply put, eggs baked in spicy tomato sauce.

Turmeric Coconut Curry Baked Eggs (shown above)

Prep 10 minutes
Cooking time 55 min
Yields Two servings

Olive oil
One medium onion, trimmed and minced
Salt
2 garlic cloves, minced garlic
10g fresh ginger, minced ginger
Golden spice
Cumin seeds
Aromatic leaves
Creamy coconut
Canned chickpeas
Basil leaves, and additional for topping
4 eggs
Green chilies, finely sliced, for serving

Set a 25cm heavy cast-iron pot over medium-high flame. Pour in some oil, add the chopped onion and a pinch of salt, sauté for several minutes. Mix in garlic, ginger, and spices, leave to sizzle, stirring occasionally briefly, pour in creamy liquid and the chickpeas and their tin liquid. Let it bubble, then turn down to a simmer, allow to cook slowly for 30-35 minutes, until thick and golden. Season with salt, mix in fresh basil.

Use the back of a spoon 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, gently heat briefly, when whites are cooked with yolks still runny. Turn off stove, finish with a few extra basil leaves plus chili slices, ready to enjoy.

Spicy Sausage Sauce and Pickled Peppers Steamed Eggs

Prep 10 min
Cooking time 45 min
Serves 2

Oil
2 merguez-style lamb sausages
Spicy paste
Cumin seeds
Garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
Canned tomatoes
Fine sea salt
4 eggs
Pickled peppers, coarsely cut
Fresh parsley, diced
Creamy yogurt
1 lemon, cut into wedges, as garnish

Use a heavy pan at moderate temperature. Add two tablespoons of olive oil when heated, peel sausages forming small bits into the skillet, resembling tiny meatballs. Lower temperature, brown the meat slowly, extracting spicy fats. Roll the merguez pieces around the pan as they cook, to brown evenly.

Once browned, incorporate harissa, cumin, and garlic into the skillet, increase to medium heat and cook, stirring, for three to four minutes, until the mix smells fragrant, with garlic cooked. Tip in the tomatoes, salt to taste heat to simmer. Reduce to low heat and leave to blip away for twenty minutes. The ragu will reduce, thicken and deepen in colour, with oils separating and surfacing.

With a spoon to create four little pockets across base, add eggs individually. Dust with salt with a little salt, cover skillet. Heat for minutes over a low heat, until whites firm and the yolks just warm.

Turn off stove, garnish with peppers, parsley and yogurt, and a drizzle of oil, with lemon on side.