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Consider this: the most delicious egg dishes don’t ever hit the oven. During recipe development, I found that simply adding a lid produces a humid atmosphere that gently cooks the eggs, delivering a gently cooked perfectly poached egg featuring set whites and a warm, runny yolk. The harsh, arid temperature in conventional ovens is much more aggressive compared to steaming, often leading to dehydrate ingredients resulting in firm yolks. I’ve given you two sauces to get started, but get creative. The first features an easy coconut turmeric blend, while the merguez ragu reimagines classic tomato-baked eggs, or, to the likes of you and me, eggs cooked in zesty tomato base.

Golden Coconut Sauce Baked Eggs (pictured above)

Prep 10 min
Cook Just under an hour
Yields Two people

Olive oil
One medium onion, skinned and diced
Sea salt
2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
Fresh ginger root, peeled and finely chopped
1 tbsp ground turmeric
Toasted cumin
Curry leaves
Creamy coconut
400g tin chickpeas
Fresh basil, with more for garnish
4 eggs
Fresh chilies, thinly cut, for serving

Set a 25cm heavy cast-iron pot on a medium-high heat. Add a shot of olive oil, add the chopped onion and a pinch of salt, sauté for several minutes. Incorporate aromatics and spices, allow to cook, occasionally stirring for three to four minutes, 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 for half an hour, when sauce is rich and yellow. 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 lightly salted, place a lid on the pan, gently heat briefly, when whites are cooked and yolks warmed. Take off the heat, top with fresh herbs and sliced chilies, then serve immediately.

Spicy Sausage Sauce with Tangy Peppers Baked Eggs

Preparation 10 min
Cook 45 minutes
Serves Two portions

Oil
2 merguez-style lamb sausages
Harissa paste
Cumin seeds
2 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
Canned tomatoes
Seasoning
4 eggs
Tangy peppers, diced
Fresh parsley, finely chopped
Greek yogurt
Fresh lemon, sliced into wedges, as garnish

Set a 25cm heavy cast-iron pot on a medium heat. Add two tablespoons of olive oil once hot, peel sausages forming small bits into the skillet, like mini balls. Reduce heat, cook until golden, so it renders out all that spicy, flavour-packed fat. Move sausage pieces as they cook, to brown evenly.

Once browned, mix in spices and garlic into the skillet, adjust to moderate flame fry with mixing, for several minutes, until aromatic, and the garlic has lost its raw edge. Pour in tomato contents, season with salt and bring to a simmer. Lower to gentle simmer and leave to blip away for twenty minutes. The ragu will reduce, intensify in color, while the oils split and rise to the top.

With a spoon making indentations within sauce, add eggs individually. Sprinkle the top of each egg lightly salted, cover skillet. Cook for two to three minutes gently, until the whites are set and the yolks just warm.

Remove from heat, garnish with peppers, herbs, yogurt dollop, and a drizzle of oil, and serve with lemon wedges.