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Consider this: the best baked eggs don’t ever hit the oven. Through culinary experiments, discovering that covering the pan generates steam that gently cooks the eggs, yielding tender perfectly poached egg featuring set whites and a warm, runny yolk. The harsh, arid temperature in conventional ovens acts stronger than steam, typically causing making dishes dry and overcook the yolk. I’ve given you two sauces as a jumping-off point, encouraging customization. Option one involves a straightforward golden coconut sauce, and the second offers a merguez ragu reimagines classic tomato-baked eggs, or, to the likes of you and me, eggs cooked in zesty tomato base.

Turmeric Coconut Curry Baked Eggs (pictured above)

Preparation 10 min
Cook 55 min
Yields Two people

Extra virgin oil
One medium onion, peeled and finely chopped
Salt
Two garlic cloves, minced garlic
10g fresh ginger, grated ginger
1 tbsp ground turmeric
Cumin seeds
Curry leaves
200ml coconut milk
Canned chickpeas
A few basil leaves, plus extra to serve
4 eggs
Fresh chilies, thinly cut, for serving

Heat a cast-iron pan on a medium-high heat. Add a shot of olive oil, toss in the onion seasoned with salt, and cook for five to six minutes. Mix in garlic, ginger, and spices, allow to cook, mixing now and then for a few minutes, pour in creamy liquid along with chickpeas and liquid. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, let it simmer for 30-35 minutes, until thickened and deep yellow in colour. Season with salt, mix in fresh basil.

With a spoon’s back forming small wells across the base, break eggs into each. Season eggs with salt, place a lid on the pan, simmer over low heat briefly, when whites are cooked with yolks still runny. Remove from heat, garnish with more basil plus chili slices, then serve immediately.

Spicy Sausage Sauce and Pickled Peppers Baked Eggs

Preparation 10 minutes
Cook 45 minutes
Yields Two

Olive oil
Spicy lamb sausages
Spicy paste
Toasted cumin
Garlic cloves, sliced thin
Tomato base
Fine sea salt
4 eggs
Pickled peppers, diced
Fresh parsley, diced
Creamy yogurt
1 lemon, wedge-cut, for serving

Use a heavy pan on a medium heat. Pour in oil once hot, peel sausages and pinch small amounts of the meat into the pan, almost like little meatballs. Turn down the heat, then slowly brown the sausagemeat, extracting spicy fats. Roll the merguez pieces around the pan during cooking, for even browning.

When golden, mix in spices and garlic into the skillet, turn up the heat to medium fry with mixing, for three to four minutes, when fragrant, with garlic cooked. Pour in tomato contents, add seasoning and bring to a simmer. Turn down the heat to low 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.

With a spoon forming wells in the sauce, break eggs in. Sprinkle the top of each egg with a little salt, place lid on pan. Simmer briefly gently, when eggs set with yolks runny.

Take off the heat, garnish with peppers, parsley, a blob of yoghurt, and a drizzle of oil, with lemon on side.