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Let me explain: the best baked eggs don’t ever hit the oven. During recipe development, realizing that using a cover produces a humid atmosphere to cook the top of the eggs, delivering a gently cooked perfectly poached egg featuring set whites and a warm, runny yolk. The harsh, arid temperature from baking proves harsher compared to steaming, typically causing to dry everything out and overcook the yolk. Here are two sauce options to get started, but get creative. One is a super-simple coconut turmeric blend, and the second offers a merguez ragu puts a twist on classic tomato-baked eggs, or, to the likes of you and me, spicy tomato eggs.

Turmeric Coconut Curry Baked Eggs (pictured above)

Preparation A quick 10 minutes
Cooking time 55 min
Yields Two servings

Extra virgin oil
One medium onion, peeled and finely chopped
Fine sea salt
2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
Fresh ginger root, grated ginger
Turmeric powder
Toasted cumin
Curry leaves
200ml coconut milk
Chickpeas
A few basil leaves, with more for garnish
Four eggs
2 green finger chillies, finely sliced, for serving

Set a 25cm heavy cast-iron pot at moderate-high temperature. Pour in some oil, incorporate onions seasoned with salt, and cook for five to six minutes. Add the garlic, ginger, turmeric, cumin seeds and curry leaves, let them sizzle, stirring occasionally for a few minutes, add coconut milk including chickpea can contents. Bring to a boil, lower heat to gentle cook, let it simmer for 30-35 minutes, when sauce is rich and yellow. Adjust seasoning, then stir in the basil leaves.

Employ a utensil making four indentations across the base, break eggs into each. Dust each egg with salt, cover the skillet, and cook on a low heat for a few minutes, until the whites are set with yolks still runny. Turn off stove, finish with a few extra basil leaves plus chili slices, and serve.

Spicy Sausage Sauce with Tangy Peppers Baked Eggs

Prep Quick prep
Cooking time 45 min
Yields Two

Oil
2 merguez-style lamb sausages
Harissa paste
Cumin seeds
2 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
Tomato base
Fine sea salt
Fresh eggs
1 handful pickled peppers, coarsely cut
Chopped herbs, minced
Greek yogurt
1 lemon, cut into wedges, as garnish

Heat a skillet at moderate temperature. Add two tablespoons of olive oil once hot, take off sausage casings forming small bits into the skillet, almost like little meatballs. Turn down the heat, then slowly brown the sausagemeat, releasing flavorful oils. Roll the merguez pieces around the pan as they cook, so they colour on all sides.

Once browned, add the harissa, cumin seeds and sliced garlic to the pan, increase to medium heat and cook, stirring, for several minutes, until aromatic, and garlic softens. Tip in the tomatoes, salt to taste let it bubble. Lower to gentle simmer and simmer slowly for twenty minutes. Sauce will thicken, thicken and deepen in colour, while the oils split and rise to the top.

Employ utensil making indentations across base, then crack an egg into each. Dust with salt with salt, cover skillet. Heat for minutes over a low heat, until the whites are set with yolks runny.

Take off the heat, top with pickled peppers, parsley and yogurt, plus oil drizzle, with lemon on side.