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Let me explain: the most delicious egg dishes never require an oven. Through culinary experiments, I found that simply adding a lid produces a humid atmosphere to cook the top of the eggs, yielding tender soft-cooked egg with firm whites and flowing center. The harsh, arid temperature in conventional ovens acts stronger versus moist heat, typically causing to dry everything out and overcook the yolk. I’ve given you two sauces to get started, but get creative. Option one involves a straightforward coconut turmeric blend, and the second offers a merguez ragu reimagines traditional spicy eggs, or simply put, spicy tomato eggs.

Turmeric Coconut Curry Baked Eggs (shown above)

Prep 10 minutes
Cook 55 min
Yields Two servings

Extra virgin oil
One medium onion, peeled and finely chopped
Fine sea salt
Two garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
Fresh ginger root, peeled and finely chopped
1 tbsp ground turmeric
Toasted cumin
Aromatic leaves
200ml coconut milk
Canned chickpeas
A few basil leaves, plus extra to serve
Fresh eggs
Green chilies, finely sliced, as garnish

Use a heavy skillet at moderate-high temperature. Drizzle olive oil, toss in the onion and a pinch of salt, and cook for five to six minutes. Mix in garlic, ginger, and spices, allow to cook, stirring occasionally briefly, pour in creamy liquid including chickpea can contents. Heat until boiling, reduce to a simmer, let it simmer for half an hour, until thickened and deep yellow in colour. Add salt to taste, mix in fresh basil.

Employ a utensil forming small wells across the base, add eggs individually. Dust each egg lightly salted, place a lid on the pan, 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 and thinly sliced finger chillies, then serve immediately.

Spicy Sausage Sauce with Tangy Peppers Baked Eggs

Prep Quick prep
Cook Under an hour
Yields 2

Oil
Spicy lamb sausages
Spicy paste
Cumin seeds
2 garlic cloves, minced garlic
400g good-quality tinned tomatoes
Salt
Four eggs
Pickled peppers, coarsely cut
1 small handful fresh flat-leaf parsley, minced
Creamy yogurt
1 lemon, wedge-cut, to serve

Heat a skillet over medium flame. Add two tablespoons of olive oil when heated, peel sausages forming small bits of the meat into the pan, like mini balls. Reduce heat, then slowly brown the sausagemeat, extracting spicy fats. Move sausage pieces as they cook, to brown evenly.

When golden, add the harissa, cumin seeds and sliced garlic to the pot, turn up the heat to medium and cook, stirring, for several minutes, when fragrant, with garlic cooked. Add tomatoes, salt to taste let it bubble. Turn down the heat to low cooking gently about 20 minutes. The ragu will reduce, become richer and darker, with oils separating and surfacing.

Employ utensil making indentations across base, add eggs individually. Dust with salt with salt, place lid on pan. Cook for two to three minutes gently, when eggs set and the yolks just warm.

Remove from heat, top with pickled peppers, parsley and yogurt, and a drizzle of oil, and serve with lemon wedges.