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Consider this: the most delicious egg dishes never require an oven. During recipe development, discovering that covering the pan produces a humid atmosphere for cooking the egg tops, delivering a gently cooked soft-cooked egg with a tender white and flowing center. The harsh, arid temperature in conventional ovens acts stronger than steam, typically causing to dry everything out resulting in firm yolks. Presenting two flavorful bases as inspiration, though feel free to experiment. One is a super-simple golden coconut sauce, 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)

Preparation 10 minutes
Cooking time 55 minutes
Serves Two servings

Extra virgin oil
1 onion, trimmed and minced
Sea salt
2 garlic cloves, crushed and chopped
Fresh ginger root, peeled and finely chopped
Golden spice
Cumin seeds
6-8 curry leaves
Creamy coconut
Chickpeas
Basil leaves, with more for garnish
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 with some salt, sauté for several minutes. Mix in garlic, ginger, and spices, let them sizzle, occasionally stirring for a few minutes, then tip in the coconut milk along with chickpeas and liquid. Let it bubble, lower heat to gentle cook, and leave it to tick over about 35 minutes, until thick and golden. Add salt to taste, mix in fresh basil.

With a spoon’s back to create four little pockets across the base, then crack an egg into each. Season eggs with salt, place a lid on the pan, simmer over low heat for two to three minutes, when whites are cooked and the yolks just warm. Take off the heat, finish with a few extra basil leaves and thinly sliced finger chillies, ready to enjoy.

Spicy Sausage Sauce with Tangy Peppers Baked Eggs

Prep Quick prep
Cook 45 minutes
Serves Two portions

Oil
2 merguez-style lamb sausages
Harissa paste
Cumin seeds
2 garlic cloves, sliced thin
Tomato base
Fine sea salt
Fresh eggs
Tangy peppers, coarsely cut
Fresh parsley, minced
Greek yogurt
Fresh lemon, cut into wedges, for serving

Heat a skillet at moderate temperature. Drizzle olive oil once hot, remove the skins from the sausages forming small bits adding to pan, resembling tiny meatballs. Reduce heat, cook until golden, so it renders out all that spicy, flavour-packed fat. Stir merguez while cooking, to brown evenly.

When golden, incorporate harissa, cumin, and garlic to the pot, adjust to moderate flame and cook, stirring, briefly, when fragrant, with garlic cooked. Add tomatoes, season with salt and bring to a simmer. Lower to gentle simmer cooking gently about 20 minutes. The ragu will reduce, thicken and deepen in colour, with oils separating and surfacing.

With a spoon making indentations across base, then crack an egg into each. Sprinkle the top of each egg with salt, cover skillet. Cook for two to three minutes on low flame, when eggs set with yolks runny.

Take off the heat, top with pickled peppers, herbs, yogurt dollop, and oil splash, with lemon on side.