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Let me explain: the best baked eggs never require an oven. During recipe development, I found that simply adding a lid produces a humid atmosphere that gently cooks the eggs, resulting in perfectly cooked delicately prepared egg featuring set whites plus liquid yolk. The intense, dry heat of the oven proves harsher than steam, typically causing making dishes dry resulting in firm yolks. Here are two sauce options as inspiration, but get creative. Option one involves a straightforward turmeric coconut curry, whereas the spicy sausage sauce is a riff on traditional spicy eggs, essentially, eggs baked in spicy tomato sauce.

Turmeric Coconut Curry Baked Eggs (pictured above)

Prep 10 minutes
Cook Just under an hour
Serves Two servings

Extra virgin oil
One medium onion, peeled and finely chopped
Fine sea salt
2 garlic cloves, minced garlic
10g fresh ginger, grated ginger
Turmeric powder
Cumin seeds
6-8 curry leaves
Creamy coconut
400g tin chickpeas
A few basil leaves, plus extra to serve
4 eggs
2 green finger chillies, julienned, as garnish

Set a 25cm heavy cast-iron pot on a medium-high heat. Add a shot of olive oil, add the chopped onion seasoned with salt, fry until softened. Mix in garlic, ginger, and spices, allow to cook, stirring occasionally for three to four minutes, pour in creamy liquid along with chickpeas and liquid. Let it bubble, lower heat to gentle cook, 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 making four indentations across the base, break eggs into each. Sprinkle the top of each egg with a little salt, then cover the pan with a lid, gently heat for a few minutes, until the whites are set and yolks warmed. Take off the heat, garnish with more basil plus chili slices, and serve.

Merguez Ragu with Tangy Peppers Steamed Eggs

Preparation 10 minutes
Cooking time 45 min
Serves Two portions

Olive oil
2 merguez-style lamb sausages
Spicy paste
Toasted cumin
2 garlic cloves, minced garlic
400g good-quality tinned tomatoes
Salt
4 eggs
Pickled peppers, roughly chopped
Fresh parsley, finely chopped
Creamy yogurt
Fresh lemon, sliced into wedges, for serving

Set a 25cm heavy cast-iron pot over medium flame. Pour in oil when heated, remove the skins from the sausages and pinch small amounts of the meat into the pan, resembling tiny meatballs. Turn down the heat, cook until golden, extracting spicy fats. Move sausage pieces while cooking, to brown evenly.

Once browned, add the harissa, cumin seeds and sliced garlic into the skillet, increase to medium heat and cook, stirring, briefly, until the mix smells fragrant, with garlic cooked. Add tomatoes, salt to taste and bring to a simmer. Turn down the heat to low cooking gently about 20 minutes. Sauce will thicken, intensify in color, as oils separate.

With a spoon forming wells across base, add eggs individually. Dust with salt with salt, then cover the pan with a lid. Simmer briefly gently, until whites firm with yolks runny.

Remove from heat, finish with chopped pickled peppers, herbs, yogurt dollop, plus oil drizzle, accompanied by lemon.