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Let me explain: the most delicious egg dishes are made without baking. When testing these recipes, discovering that covering the pan creates a steamy environment that gently cooks the eggs, yielding tender perfectly poached egg with a tender white and flowing center. The intense, dry heat in conventional ovens is much more aggressive than steam, often leading to dehydrate ingredients and overcook the yolk. Here are two sauce options to get started, encouraging customization. Option one involves a straightforward coconut turmeric blend, while the merguez ragu reimagines classic tomato-baked eggs, or simply put, eggs baked in spicy tomato sauce.

Golden Coconut Sauce Steamed Eggs (featured)

Preparation A quick 10 minutes
Cook Just under an hour
Yields 2

Extra virgin oil
1 onion, trimmed and minced
Sea salt
Two garlic cloves, minced garlic
Fresh ginger root, grated ginger
Turmeric powder
Cumin seeds
Curry leaves
200ml coconut milk
Chickpeas
Basil leaves, and additional for topping
Fresh eggs
2 green finger chillies, thinly cut, for serving

Set a 25cm heavy cast-iron pot over medium-high flame. Pour in some oil, incorporate onions seasoned with salt, fry until softened. Mix in garlic, ginger, and spices, allow to cook, stirring occasionally briefly, add coconut milk and the chickpeas and their tin liquid. Heat until boiling, lower heat to gentle cook, let it simmer for half an hour, when sauce is rich and yellow. Season with salt, incorporate basil.

Employ a utensil making four indentations within the sauce, break eggs into each. Sprinkle the top of each egg with a little salt, place a lid on the pan, gently heat briefly, until egg whites firm and yolks warmed. Turn off stove, top with fresh herbs and sliced chilies, ready to enjoy.

Spicy Sausage Sauce and Pickled Peppers Steamed Eggs

Prep Quick prep
Cooking time 45 minutes
Yields Two

Oil
Spicy lamb sausages
Harissa paste
Toasted cumin
2 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
Canned tomatoes
Fine sea salt
4 eggs
Tangy peppers, diced
Chopped herbs, minced
Greek yogurt
1 lemon, sliced into wedges, as garnish

Set a 25cm heavy cast-iron pot over medium flame. Drizzle olive oil when heated, remove the skins from the sausages forming small bits of the meat into the pan, almost like little meatballs. Lower temperature, cook until golden, so it renders out all that spicy, flavour-packed fat. Move sausage pieces while cooking, so they colour on all sides.

Once browned, mix in spices and garlic to the pot, turn up the heat to medium and cook, stirring, briefly, when fragrant, with garlic cooked. Pour in tomato contents, add seasoning and bring to a simmer. Turn down the heat to low and simmer slowly for twenty minutes. The ragu will reduce, become richer and darker, as oils separate.

Use the back of a spoon making indentations in the sauce, then crack an egg into each. Sprinkle the top of each egg lightly salted, then cover the pan with a lid. Heat for minutes gently, until whites firm and the yolks just warm.

Take off the heat, garnish with peppers, parsley and yogurt, and a drizzle of oil, and serve with lemon wedges.