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Let me explain: the best baked eggs don’t ever hit the oven. Through culinary experiments, I found that simply adding a lid produces a humid atmosphere to cook the top of the eggs, delivering a gently cooked perfectly poached egg with firm whites and flowing center. Direct oven heat of the oven acts stronger versus moist heat, typically causing making dishes dry and harden the yolk. I’ve given you two sauces as inspiration, but get creative. The first features an easy coconut turmeric blend, whereas the spicy sausage sauce reimagines classic tomato-baked eggs, essentially, spicy tomato eggs.

Turmeric Coconut Curry Baked Eggs (pictured above)

Prep 10 minutes
Cook 55 min
Yields 2

Olive oil
1 onion, skinned and diced
Sea salt
Two garlic cloves, minced garlic
Fresh ginger root, minced ginger
Golden spice
½ tbsp cumin seeds
6-8 curry leaves
Creamy coconut
400g tin chickpeas
Basil leaves, with more for garnish
4 eggs
2 green finger chillies, thinly cut, to serve

Set a 25cm heavy cast-iron pot on a medium-high heat. Add a shot of olive oil, incorporate onions and a pinch of salt, sauté for several minutes. Incorporate aromatics and spices, allow to cook, occasionally stirring for three to four minutes, pour in creamy liquid along with chickpeas and liquid. Let it bubble, then turn down to a simmer, and leave it to tick over for 30-35 minutes, when sauce is rich and yellow. Season with salt, mix in fresh basil.

Employ a utensil forming small wells across the base, then crack an egg into each. Season eggs lightly salted, place a lid on the pan, and cook on a low heat briefly, when whites are cooked and yolks warmed. Take off the heat, finish with a few extra basil leaves plus chili slices, and serve.

Spicy Sausage Sauce with Tangy Peppers Steamed Eggs

Prep 10 min
Cooking time 45 minutes
Yields Two portions

Oil
Spicy lamb sausages
Spicy paste
Cumin seeds
2 garlic cloves, sliced thin
Canned tomatoes
Seasoning
Four eggs
1 handful pickled peppers, roughly chopped
Fresh parsley, minced
Creamy yogurt
1 lemon, cut into wedges, for serving

Heat a skillet at moderate temperature. Add two tablespoons of olive oil when heated, remove the skins from the sausages and pinch small amounts adding to pan, like mini balls. Turn down the heat, brown the meat slowly, releasing flavorful oils. Move sausage pieces during cooking, so they colour on all sides.

When golden, mix in spices and garlic into the skillet, turn up the heat to medium and cook, stirring, briefly, until the mix smells fragrant, and garlic softens. Add tomatoes, add seasoning and bring to a simmer. Lower to gentle simmer cooking gently about 20 minutes. The ragu will reduce, thicken and deepen in colour, as oils separate.

Use the back of a spoon to create four little pockets across base, add eggs individually. Dust with salt lightly salted, then cover the pan with a lid. Heat for minutes over a low heat, until whites firm with yolks runny.

Take off the heat, top with pickled peppers, parsley, a blob of yoghurt, and a drizzle of oil, accompanied by lemon.