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Let me explain: the best baked eggs are made without baking. When testing these recipes, I found that simply adding a lid generates steam that gently cooks the eggs, yielding tender perfectly poached egg with a tender white and flowing center. The intense, dry heat of the oven acts stronger versus moist heat, often leading to dehydrate ingredients resulting in firm yolks. I’ve given you two sauces as a jumping-off point, encouraging customization. The first features an easy coconut turmeric blend, while the merguez ragu puts a twist on eggs in purgatory, or, to the likes of you and me, eggs baked in spicy tomato sauce.

Turmeric Coconut Curry Steamed Eggs (featured)

Prep 10 min
Cook Just under an hour
Serves Two servings

Extra virgin oil
1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
Sea salt
Two garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
10g fresh ginger, minced ginger
1 tbsp ground turmeric
Toasted cumin
6-8 curry leaves
200ml coconut milk
Chickpeas
Basil leaves, plus extra to serve
Four eggs
2 green finger chillies, julienned, as garnish

Use a heavy skillet on a medium-high heat. Add a shot of olive oil, toss in the onion and a pinch of salt, sauté for several minutes. Add the garlic, ginger, turmeric, cumin seeds and curry leaves, let them sizzle, occasionally stirring for three to four minutes, then tip in the coconut milk including chickpea can contents. Let it bubble, lower heat to gentle cook, and leave it to tick over for half an hour, when sauce is rich and yellow. Season with salt, mix in fresh basil.

Use the back of a spoon making four indentations across the base, add eggs individually. Season eggs lightly salted, place a lid on the pan, simmer over low heat briefly, until the whites are set and yolks warmed. Take off the heat, garnish with more basil plus chili slices, and serve.

Merguez Ragu with Tangy Peppers Baked Eggs

Prep 10 min
Cooking time 45 minutes
Serves Two

Olive oil
Merguez sausages
1 tbsp harissa
1 tsp cumin seeds
Garlic cloves, minced garlic
400g good-quality tinned tomatoes
Seasoning
4 eggs
Tangy peppers, diced
1 small handful fresh flat-leaf parsley, minced
Creamy yogurt
Fresh lemon, cut into wedges, to serve

Use a heavy pan on a medium heat. Pour in oil when heated, remove the skins from the sausages and break off pieces adding to pan, almost like little meatballs. Reduce heat, brown the meat slowly, extracting spicy fats. Roll the merguez pieces around the pan while cooking, for even browning.

When golden, add the harissa, cumin seeds and sliced garlic to the pan, adjust to moderate flame and cook, stirring, briefly, when fragrant, with garlic cooked. Pour in tomato contents, salt to taste heat to simmer. Reduce to low heat and simmer slowly about 20 minutes. The ragu will reduce, intensify in color, while the oils split and rise to the top.

Use the back of a spoon making indentations across base, break eggs in. Sprinkle the top of each egg lightly salted, place lid on pan. Simmer briefly over a low heat, when eggs set and the yolks just warm.

Take off the heat, finish with chopped pickled peppers, parsley and yogurt, plus oil drizzle, with lemon on side.