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Let me explain: the most delicious egg dishes are made without baking. During recipe development, I found that simply adding a lid generates steam to cook the top of the eggs, resulting in perfectly cooked perfectly poached egg featuring set whites and a warm, runny yolk. The harsh, arid temperature from baking acts stronger compared to steaming, typically causing making dishes dry and overcook the yolk. Here are two sauce options to get started, encouraging customization. The first features an easy golden coconut sauce, while the merguez ragu puts a twist on traditional spicy eggs, essentially, spicy tomato eggs.

Golden Coconut Sauce Baked Eggs (featured)

Preparation 10 min
Cook 55 min
Serves 2

Extra virgin oil
1 onion, trimmed and minced
Sea salt
2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
Fresh ginger root, minced ginger
Turmeric powder
Toasted cumin
Aromatic leaves
Creamy coconut
400g tin chickpeas
A few basil leaves, and additional for topping
Fresh eggs
2 green finger chillies, thinly cut, for serving

Use a heavy skillet at moderate-high temperature. Add a shot of olive oil, incorporate onions with some salt, fry until softened. Mix in garlic, ginger, and spices, allow to cook, occasionally stirring briefly, then tip in the coconut milk and the chickpeas and their tin liquid. Bring to a boil, then turn down to a simmer, and leave it to tick over about 35 minutes, until thick and golden. Season with salt, then stir in the basil leaves.

Use the back of a spoon forming small wells across the base, break eggs into each. Season eggs with salt, place a lid on the pan, gently heat for two to three minutes, when whites are cooked with yolks still runny. Turn off stove, garnish with more basil and thinly sliced finger chillies, then serve immediately.

Spicy Sausage Sauce with Tangy Peppers Steamed Eggs

Prep 10 min
Cook 45 minutes
Serves Two portions

Olive oil
2 merguez-style lamb sausages
1 tbsp harissa
Toasted cumin
Garlic cloves, sliced thin
Tomato base
Salt
4 eggs
1 handful pickled peppers, roughly chopped
1 small handful fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
3 tbsp thick Greek yoghurt
1 lemon, cut into wedges, as garnish

Set a 25cm heavy cast-iron pot over medium flame. Add two tablespoons of olive oil once hot, peel sausages and break off pieces adding to pan, almost like little meatballs. Reduce heat, brown the meat slowly, releasing flavorful oils. Roll the merguez pieces around the pan as they cook, to brown evenly.

Once browned, mix in spices and garlic into the skillet, turn up the heat to medium fry with mixing, for three to four minutes, when fragrant, and garlic softens. Add tomatoes, season with salt heat to simmer. Reduce to low heat and simmer slowly for twenty minutes. Sauce will thicken, thicken and deepen in colour, as oils separate.

Use the back of a spoon making indentations within sauce, add eggs individually. Season eggs with a little salt, cover skillet. Simmer briefly gently, when eggs set and yolks warmed.

Remove from heat, finish with chopped pickled peppers, herbs, yogurt dollop, plus oil drizzle, with lemon on side.