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Let me explain: the best baked eggs never require an oven. During recipe development, realizing that using a cover creates a steamy environment for cooking the egg tops, yielding tender delicately prepared egg with a tender white and flowing center. The harsh, arid temperature in conventional ovens acts stronger than steam, typically causing to dehydrate ingredients and harden the yolk. Presenting two flavorful bases as inspiration, encouraging customization. One is a super-simple coconut turmeric blend, and the second offers a merguez ragu is a riff on eggs in purgatory, or simply put, eggs baked in spicy tomato sauce.

Turmeric Coconut Curry Steamed Eggs (featured)

Prep 10 min
Cooking time Just under an hour
Yields 2

Extra virgin oil
1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
Fine sea salt
2 garlic cloves, minced garlic
Fresh ginger root, grated ginger
Golden spice
Toasted cumin
Curry leaves
200ml coconut milk
Chickpeas
A few basil leaves, with more for garnish
Fresh eggs
2 green finger chillies, thinly cut, as garnish

Use a heavy skillet at moderate-high temperature. Pour in some oil, toss in the onion with some salt, fry until softened. Incorporate aromatics and spices, let them sizzle, mixing now and then for three to four minutes, add coconut milk including chickpea can contents. Heat until boiling, then turn down to a simmer, and leave it to tick over about 35 minutes, until thick and golden. Add salt to taste, mix in fresh basil.

Employ a utensil to create four little pockets within the sauce, break eggs into each. Dust each egg with a little salt, place a lid on the pan, simmer over low heat for two to three minutes, when whites are cooked and yolks warmed. Take off the heat, finish with a few extra basil leaves and sliced chilies, ready to enjoy.

Merguez Ragu with Tangy Peppers Baked Eggs

Preparation 10 min
Cook Under an hour
Serves 2

Oil
Spicy lamb sausages
Spicy paste
Toasted cumin
Garlic cloves, minced garlic
Tomato base
Seasoning
4 eggs
Pickled peppers, roughly chopped
Fresh parsley, minced
3 tbsp thick Greek yoghurt
1 lemon, sliced into wedges, as garnish

Set a 25cm heavy cast-iron pot over medium flame. Pour in oil once hot, peel sausages and pinch small amounts adding to pan, like mini balls. Lower temperature, brown the meat slowly, extracting spicy fats. Roll the merguez pieces around the pan during cooking, to brown evenly.

After browning, incorporate harissa, cumin, and garlic to the pot, adjust to moderate flame and cook, stirring, for three to four minutes, when fragrant, and garlic softens. Add tomatoes, salt to taste let it bubble. Turn down the heat to low and simmer slowly for 20 minutes. Sauce will thicken, become richer and darker, as oils separate.

Use the back of a spoon making indentations within sauce, then crack an egg into each. Sprinkle the top of each egg with a little salt, then cover the pan with a lid. Cook for two to three minutes on low flame, when eggs set and yolks warmed.

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