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Let me explain: the best baked eggs are made without baking. Through culinary experiments, I found that simply adding a lid produces a humid atmosphere that gently cooks the eggs, delivering a gently cooked perfectly poached egg with a tender white plus liquid yolk. The intense, dry heat from baking acts stronger compared to steaming, and has a tendency making dishes dry and harden the yolk. I’ve given you two sauces as inspiration, but get creative. The first features an easy golden coconut sauce, and the second offers a merguez ragu is a riff on classic tomato-baked eggs, or, to the likes of you and me, spicy tomato eggs.

Golden Coconut Sauce Baked Eggs (featured)

Prep A quick 10 minutes
Cook Just under an hour
Serves Two people

Olive oil
One medium onion, peeled and finely chopped
Salt
Two garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
10g fresh ginger, minced ginger
Turmeric powder
½ tbsp cumin seeds
6-8 curry leaves
Creamy coconut
Canned chickpeas
A few basil leaves, and additional for topping
4 eggs
2 green finger chillies, finely sliced, to serve

Set a 25cm heavy cast-iron pot at moderate-high temperature. Pour in some oil, add the chopped onion with some salt, fry until softened. Add the garlic, ginger, turmeric, cumin seeds and curry leaves, let them sizzle, mixing now and then for three to four minutes, pour in creamy liquid along with chickpeas and liquid. Let it bubble, reduce to a simmer, allow to cook slowly for 30-35 minutes, until thickened and deep yellow in colour. Adjust seasoning, then stir in the basil leaves.

Use the back of a spoon to create four little pockets within the sauce, add eggs individually. Sprinkle the top of each egg lightly salted, then cover the pan with a lid, and cook on a low heat for two to three minutes, until the whites are set and yolks warmed. Turn off stove, top with fresh herbs and thinly sliced finger chillies, ready to enjoy.

Spicy Sausage Sauce and Pickled Peppers Baked Eggs

Prep 10 minutes
Cooking time Under an hour
Yields Two portions

Olive oil
Spicy lamb sausages
Spicy paste
Cumin seeds
2 garlic cloves, minced garlic
400g good-quality tinned tomatoes
Seasoning
Four eggs
Tangy peppers, coarsely cut
Chopped herbs, finely chopped
Creamy yogurt
Fresh lemon, cut into wedges, as garnish

Use a heavy pan on a medium heat. Pour in oil when heated, remove the skins from the sausages forming small bits adding to pan, like mini balls. Reduce heat, brown the meat slowly, releasing flavorful oils. Stir merguez while cooking, for even browning.

When golden, incorporate harissa, cumin, and garlic to the pan, increase to medium heat and cook, stirring, for three to four minutes, until aromatic, and the garlic has lost its raw edge. Add tomatoes, season with salt and bring to a simmer. Turn down the heat to low cooking gently about 20 minutes. Ragu thickens, become richer and darker, as oils separate.

Employ utensil making indentations across base, break eggs in. Sprinkle the top of each egg with salt, cover skillet. Heat for minutes on low flame, until the whites are set and yolks warmed.

Turn off stove, garnish with peppers, parsley and yogurt, and oil splash, and serve with lemon wedges.