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Consider this: the most delicious egg dishes don’t ever hit the oven. Through culinary experiments, discovering that covering the pan creates a steamy environment for cooking the egg tops, yielding tender soft-cooked egg featuring set whites plus liquid yolk. Direct oven heat in conventional ovens acts stronger compared to steaming, typically causing making dishes dry and harden the yolk. Presenting two flavorful bases as inspiration, but get creative. The first features an easy turmeric coconut curry, and the second offers a merguez ragu is a riff on classic tomato-baked eggs, essentially, eggs baked in spicy tomato sauce.

Turmeric Coconut Curry Steamed Eggs (featured)

Preparation 10 min
Cook 55 minutes
Yields Two servings

Olive oil
1 onion, trimmed and minced
Salt
2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
10g fresh ginger, minced ginger
1 tbsp ground turmeric
Toasted cumin
6-8 curry leaves
Coconut milk
Canned chickpeas
Fresh basil, plus extra to serve
Four eggs
Green chilies, thinly cut, as garnish

Heat a cast-iron pan on a medium-high heat. Pour in some oil, add the chopped onion with some salt, sauté for several minutes. Incorporate aromatics and spices, let them sizzle, mixing now and then for three to four minutes, add coconut milk including chickpea can contents. Let it bubble, reduce to a simmer, and leave it to tick over about 35 minutes, until thickened and deep yellow in colour. Add salt to taste, mix in fresh basil.

Employ a utensil forming small wells within the sauce, then crack an egg into each. Sprinkle the top of each egg lightly salted, cover the skillet, simmer over low heat for two to three minutes, until egg whites firm with yolks still runny. Turn off stove, finish with a few extra basil leaves plus chili slices, then serve immediately.

Merguez Ragu and Pickled Peppers Baked Eggs

Preparation Quick prep
Cook Under an hour
Serves Two portions

Oil
Spicy lamb sausages
Spicy paste
Cumin seeds
Garlic cloves, minced garlic
400g good-quality tinned tomatoes
Seasoning
4 eggs
Tangy peppers, coarsely cut
Fresh parsley, finely chopped
3 tbsp thick Greek yoghurt
Fresh lemon, cut into wedges, for serving

Heat a skillet on a medium heat. Add two tablespoons of olive oil when heated, take off sausage casings and break off pieces into the skillet, almost like little meatballs. Lower temperature, cook until golden, releasing flavorful oils. Move sausage pieces while cooking, so they colour on all sides.

After browning, add the harissa, cumin seeds and sliced garlic into the skillet, increase to medium heat fry with mixing, briefly, when fragrant, and garlic softens. Pour in tomato contents, salt to taste heat to simmer. Lower to gentle simmer and simmer slowly about 20 minutes. The ragu will reduce, intensify in color, while the oils split and rise to the top.

With a spoon making indentations within sauce, break eggs in. Sprinkle the top of each egg with a little salt, place lid on pan. Simmer briefly over a low heat, until whites firm and the yolks just warm.

Remove from heat, finish with chopped pickled peppers, parsley, a blob of yoghurt, and oil splash, with lemon on side.