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Let me explain: the most delicious egg dishes never require an oven. During recipe development, discovering that covering the pan produces a humid atmosphere to cook the top of the eggs, yielding tender delicately prepared egg with firm whites and flowing center. Direct oven heat in conventional ovens proves harsher versus moist heat, and has a tendency to dehydrate ingredients and overcook the yolk. I’ve given you two sauces as a jumping-off point, encouraging customization. The first features an easy coconut turmeric blend, while the merguez ragu reimagines traditional spicy eggs, essentially, eggs baked in spicy tomato sauce.

Golden Coconut Sauce Baked Eggs (shown above)

Preparation 10 minutes
Cooking time Just under an hour
Serves 2

Olive oil
One medium onion, trimmed and minced
Sea salt
2 garlic cloves, minced garlic
10g fresh ginger, grated ginger
1 tbsp ground turmeric
Cumin seeds
Curry leaves
Coconut milk
Canned chickpeas
A few basil leaves, and additional for topping
Four eggs
Fresh chilies, finely sliced, for serving

Use a heavy skillet over medium-high flame. Drizzle olive oil, toss in the onion with some salt, sauté for several minutes. Add the garlic, ginger, turmeric, cumin seeds and curry leaves, let them sizzle, stirring occasionally for a few minutes, add coconut milk along with chickpeas and liquid. Let it bubble, lower heat to gentle cook, allow to cook slowly for half an hour, until thick and golden. Adjust seasoning, then stir in the basil leaves.

With a spoon’s back forming small wells in the sauce, add eggs individually. Sprinkle the top of each egg with a little salt, cover the skillet, and cook on a low heat briefly, until the whites are set with yolks still runny. Take off the heat, finish with a few extra basil leaves and sliced chilies, ready to enjoy.

Spicy Sausage Sauce with Tangy Peppers Steamed Eggs

Prep 10 minutes
Cook 45 minutes
Serves Two

Olive oil
2 merguez-style lamb sausages
1 tbsp harissa
Toasted cumin
2 garlic cloves, minced garlic
Tomato base
Salt
Four eggs
Pickled peppers, diced
1 small handful fresh flat-leaf parsley, minced
Greek yogurt
1 lemon, sliced into wedges, as garnish

Heat a skillet at moderate temperature. Drizzle olive oil and, once it’s warm, remove the skins from the sausages and break off pieces adding to pan, almost like little meatballs. Turn down the heat, cook until golden, so it renders out all that spicy, flavour-packed fat. Stir merguez as they cook, for even browning.

When golden, mix in spices and garlic to the pan, increase to medium heat and cook, stirring, for several minutes, when fragrant, with garlic cooked. Add tomatoes, season with salt and bring to a simmer. Lower to gentle simmer and simmer slowly for twenty minutes. The ragu will reduce, become richer and darker, with oils separating and surfacing.

With a spoon making indentations in the sauce, then crack an egg into each. Season eggs with a little salt, place lid on pan. Heat for minutes gently, until the whites are set with yolks runny.

Turn off stove, finish with chopped pickled peppers, parsley, a blob of yoghurt, and oil splash, and serve with lemon wedges.