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Consider this: the best baked eggs never require an oven. When testing these recipes, realizing that using a cover produces a humid atmosphere to cook the top of the eggs, resulting in perfectly cooked soft-cooked egg featuring set whites and a warm, runny yolk. Direct oven heat from baking acts stronger compared to steaming, and has a tendency to dehydrate ingredients and overcook the yolk. Presenting two flavorful bases as a jumping-off point, though feel free to experiment. Option one involves a straightforward coconut turmeric blend, and the second offers a merguez ragu reimagines traditional spicy eggs, or simply put, spicy tomato eggs.

Golden Coconut Sauce Steamed Eggs (pictured above)

Prep 10 min
Cook 55 minutes
Yields 2

Olive oil
1 onion, skinned and diced
Sea salt
Two garlic cloves, minced garlic
Fresh ginger root, minced ginger
1 tbsp ground turmeric
Cumin seeds
Aromatic leaves
Creamy coconut
Chickpeas
Basil leaves, and additional for topping
Four eggs
Fresh chilies, julienned, as garnish

Use a heavy skillet on a medium-high heat. Pour in some oil, incorporate onions and a pinch of salt, and cook for five to six minutes. Incorporate aromatics and spices, let them sizzle, stirring occasionally briefly, then tip in the coconut milk along with chickpeas and liquid. Heat until boiling, then turn down to a simmer, and leave it to tick over about 35 minutes, when sauce is rich and yellow. Add salt to taste, then stir in the basil leaves.

Employ a utensil to create four little pockets in the sauce, break eggs into each. Sprinkle the top of each egg with salt, place a lid on the pan, simmer over low heat for two to three minutes, until the whites are set with yolks still runny. Take off the heat, top with fresh herbs plus chili slices, ready to enjoy.

Spicy Sausage Sauce and Pickled Peppers Steamed Eggs

Prep Quick prep
Cook 45 minutes
Serves Two

Oil
Merguez sausages
Harissa paste
Toasted cumin
2 garlic cloves, sliced thin
Tomato base
Fine sea salt
Fresh eggs
Pickled peppers, diced
Chopped herbs, minced
Creamy yogurt
Fresh lemon, wedge-cut, as garnish

Heat a skillet on a medium heat. Add two tablespoons of olive oil and, once it’s warm, peel sausages forming small bits into the skillet, almost like little meatballs. Turn down the heat, brown the meat slowly, releasing flavorful oils. Move sausage pieces during cooking, for even browning.

Once browned, mix in spices and garlic to the pot, adjust to moderate flame fry with mixing, briefly, when fragrant, and garlic softens. Add tomatoes, season with salt let it bubble. Turn down the heat to low and leave to blip away about 20 minutes. Sauce will thicken, intensify in color, with oils separating and surfacing.

Employ utensil to create four little pockets across base, then crack an egg into each. Sprinkle the top of each egg lightly salted, cover skillet. Cook for two to three minutes over a low heat, until the whites are set and yolks warmed.

Take off the heat, finish with chopped pickled peppers, parsley, a blob of yoghurt, and oil splash, with lemon on side.