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Consider this: the best baked eggs are made without baking. Through culinary experiments, I found that simply adding a lid creates a steamy environment that gently cooks the eggs, delivering a gently cooked perfectly poached egg with firm whites and flowing center. The intense, dry heat in conventional ovens acts stronger than steam, often leading to dry everything out resulting in firm yolks. I’ve given you two sauces to get started, though feel free to experiment. The first features an easy golden coconut sauce, whereas the spicy sausage sauce reimagines classic tomato-baked eggs, essentially, eggs baked in spicy tomato sauce.

Golden Coconut Sauce Steamed Eggs (shown above)

Preparation A quick 10 minutes
Cook 55 min
Serves 2

Olive oil
1 onion, skinned and diced
Salt
2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
Fresh ginger root, grated ginger
Golden spice
Toasted cumin
Curry leaves
Coconut milk
Chickpeas
Fresh basil, plus extra to serve
Fresh eggs
Fresh chilies, julienned, as garnish

Heat a cast-iron pan over medium-high flame. Pour in some oil, incorporate onions seasoned with salt, fry until softened. Incorporate aromatics and spices, allow to cook, stirring occasionally for three to four minutes, pour in creamy liquid and the chickpeas and their tin liquid. Bring to a boil, then turn down to a simmer, allow to cook slowly about 35 minutes, when sauce is rich and yellow. Add salt to taste, incorporate basil.

Employ a utensil to create four little pockets across the base, then crack an egg into each. Dust each egg with a little salt, place a lid on the pan, 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 plus chili slices, then serve immediately.

Spicy Sausage Sauce with Tangy Peppers Baked Eggs

Prep 10 min
Cooking time 45 minutes
Serves 2

Oil
Merguez sausages
Harissa paste
Cumin seeds
2 garlic cloves, sliced thin
Tomato base
Seasoning
Four eggs
1 handful pickled peppers, coarsely cut
Chopped herbs, diced
Greek yogurt
Fresh lemon, wedge-cut, for serving

Heat a skillet at moderate temperature. Pour in oil when heated, remove the skins from the sausages and pinch small amounts adding to pan, resembling tiny meatballs. Turn down the heat, brown the meat slowly, extracting spicy fats. Move sausage pieces as they cook, to brown evenly.

When golden, mix in spices and garlic to the pot, increase to medium heat sauté while stirring, briefly, until aromatic, and the garlic has lost its raw edge. Add tomatoes, salt to taste and bring to a simmer. Lower to gentle simmer cooking gently for 20 minutes. The ragu will reduce, thicken and deepen in colour, as oils separate.

With a spoon forming wells across base, then crack an egg into each. Sprinkle the top of each egg lightly salted, cover skillet. Simmer briefly on low flame, until whites firm and yolks warmed.

Turn off stove, finish with chopped pickled peppers, parsley, a blob of yoghurt, plus oil drizzle, with lemon on side.