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So, hear me out: the best baked eggs don’t ever hit the oven. During recipe development, realizing that using a cover creates a steamy environment that gently cooks the eggs, delivering a gently cooked perfectly poached egg with a tender white plus liquid yolk. The intense, dry heat of the oven proves harsher versus moist heat, and has a tendency to dehydrate ingredients resulting in firm yolks. I’ve given you two sauces as a jumping-off point, encouraging customization. Option one involves a straightforward turmeric coconut curry, whereas the spicy sausage sauce reimagines traditional spicy eggs, or, to the likes of you and me, spicy tomato eggs.

Golden Coconut Sauce Steamed Eggs (featured)

Prep 10 min
Cooking time 55 min
Serves 2

Olive oil
1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
Fine sea salt
2 garlic cloves, crushed and chopped
Fresh ginger root, minced ginger
Golden spice
Cumin seeds
6-8 curry leaves
Creamy coconut
Chickpeas
Fresh basil, and additional for topping
Four eggs
Green chilies, thinly cut, as garnish

Set a 25cm heavy cast-iron pot over medium-high flame. Pour in some oil, add the chopped onion and a pinch of salt, and cook for five to six minutes. Incorporate aromatics and spices, leave to sizzle, mixing now and then for three to four minutes, then tip in the coconut milk including chickpea can contents. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and leave it to tick over for half an hour, when sauce is rich and yellow. Season with salt, mix in fresh basil.

Employ a utensil to create four little pockets in the sauce, then crack an egg into each. Dust each egg with salt, place a lid on the pan, simmer over low heat for a few minutes, when whites are cooked and yolks warmed. Turn off stove, top with fresh herbs plus chili slices, and serve.

Spicy Sausage Sauce with Tangy Peppers Steamed Eggs

Prep 10 min
Cook 45 min
Serves Two

Oil
Spicy lamb sausages
Spicy paste
Toasted cumin
Garlic cloves, sliced thin
Tomato base
Fine sea salt
Four eggs
1 handful pickled peppers, roughly chopped
Fresh parsley, minced
3 tbsp thick Greek yoghurt
Fresh lemon, cut into wedges, to serve

Heat a skillet on a medium heat. Add two tablespoons of olive oil when heated, take off sausage casings and pinch small amounts of the meat into the pan, 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, to brown evenly.

When golden, mix in spices and garlic to the pot, increase to medium heat sauté while stirring, for three to four minutes, until aromatic, and the garlic has lost its raw edge. Add tomatoes, add seasoning and bring to a simmer. Reduce to low heat and simmer slowly about 20 minutes. The ragu will reduce, become richer and darker, as oils separate.

Employ utensil forming wells across base, then crack an egg into each. Sprinkle the top of each egg lightly salted, then cover the pan with a lid. Heat for minutes on low flame, until whites firm with yolks runny.

Remove from heat, top with pickled peppers, parsley, a blob of yoghurt, and a drizzle of oil, and serve with lemon wedges.