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So, hear me out: the best baked eggs don’t ever hit the oven. Through culinary experiments, discovering that covering the pan generates steam for cooking the egg tops, resulting in perfectly cooked delicately prepared egg featuring set whites plus liquid yolk. The harsh, arid temperature from baking proves harsher compared to steaming, often leading to dry everything out resulting in firm yolks. I’ve given you two sauces to get started, though feel free to experiment. One is a super-simple turmeric coconut curry, while the merguez ragu puts a twist on classic tomato-baked eggs, essentially, spicy tomato eggs.

Turmeric Coconut Curry Baked Eggs (pictured above)

Preparation A quick 10 minutes
Cooking time 55 minutes
Serves Two people

Olive oil
1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
Salt
2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
10g fresh ginger, minced ginger
Turmeric powder
½ tbsp cumin seeds
6-8 curry leaves
Creamy coconut
400g tin chickpeas
Basil leaves, and additional for topping
Fresh eggs
2 green finger chillies, finely sliced, for serving

Set a 25cm heavy cast-iron pot over medium-high flame. Pour in some oil, add the chopped onion seasoned with salt, and cook for five to six minutes. Mix in garlic, ginger, and spices, leave to sizzle, occasionally stirring for three to four minutes, add coconut milk and the chickpeas and their tin liquid. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and leave it to tick over for half an hour, until thick and golden. Season with salt, mix in fresh basil.

With a spoon’s back forming small wells across the base, break eggs into each. Season eggs lightly salted, cover the skillet, and cook on a low heat for two to three minutes, when whites are cooked and yolks warmed. Take off the heat, top with fresh herbs plus chili slices, then serve immediately.

Merguez Ragu and Pickled Peppers Baked Eggs

Prep 10 minutes
Cooking time Under an hour
Serves Two

Olive oil
Merguez sausages
Harissa paste
Cumin seeds
2 garlic cloves, minced garlic
400g good-quality tinned tomatoes
Fine sea salt
Four eggs
1 handful pickled peppers, diced
Fresh parsley, minced
Greek yogurt
Fresh lemon, wedge-cut, for serving

Heat a skillet over medium flame. Pour in oil once hot, take off sausage casings forming small bits into the skillet, resembling tiny meatballs. Turn down the heat, cook until golden, releasing flavorful oils. Roll the merguez pieces around the pan while cooking, to brown evenly.

After browning, mix in spices and garlic into the skillet, adjust to moderate flame fry with mixing, briefly, when fragrant, and garlic softens. Tip in the tomatoes, salt to taste heat to simmer. Turn down the heat to low and leave to blip away for twenty minutes. Sauce will thicken, intensify in color, with oils separating and surfacing.

With a spoon making indentations across base, add eggs individually. Dust with salt with a little salt, then cover the pan with a lid. Cook for two to three minutes over a low heat, when eggs set and the yolks just warm.

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