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Consider this: the best baked eggs are made without baking. Through culinary experiments, I found that simply adding a lid creates a steamy environment for cooking the egg tops, yielding tender delicately prepared egg with firm whites plus liquid yolk. The intense, dry heat of the oven proves harsher versus moist heat, typically causing to dehydrate ingredients and harden the yolk. I’ve given you two sauces to get started, but get creative. One is a super-simple golden coconut sauce, while the merguez ragu is a riff on traditional spicy eggs, or, to the likes of you and me, spicy tomato eggs.

Golden Coconut Sauce Steamed Eggs (featured)

Prep A quick 10 minutes
Cook 55 min
Yields Two servings

Extra virgin oil
One medium onion, skinned and diced
Fine sea salt
Two garlic cloves, crushed and chopped
Fresh ginger root, grated ginger
Turmeric powder
Cumin seeds
6-8 curry leaves
Coconut milk
Canned chickpeas
A few basil leaves, plus extra to serve
Four eggs
Green chilies, finely sliced, for serving

Heat a cast-iron pan at moderate-high temperature. Drizzle olive oil, incorporate onions seasoned with salt, fry until softened. Incorporate aromatics and spices, let them sizzle, occasionally stirring for three to four minutes, add coconut milk along with chickpeas and liquid. Heat until boiling, then turn down to a simmer, allow to cook slowly for half an hour, until thickened and deep yellow in colour. Season with salt, then stir in the basil leaves.

Use the back of a spoon to create four little pockets in the sauce, add eggs individually. Season eggs with a little salt, then cover the pan with a lid, simmer over low heat for two to three minutes, until egg whites firm with yolks still runny. Take off the heat, top with fresh herbs plus chili slices, and serve.

Merguez Ragu and Pickled Peppers Steamed Eggs

Preparation Quick prep
Cook 45 minutes
Yields Two portions

Oil
2 merguez-style lamb sausages
Harissa paste
1 tsp cumin seeds
Garlic cloves, sliced thin
Tomato base
Fine sea salt
4 eggs
1 handful pickled peppers, coarsely cut
Chopped herbs, minced
3 tbsp thick Greek yoghurt
Fresh lemon, sliced into wedges, as garnish

Use a heavy pan on a medium heat. Add two tablespoons of olive oil when heated, take off sausage casings forming small bits adding to pan, resembling tiny meatballs. Reduce heat, cook until golden, extracting spicy fats. Stir merguez during cooking, for even browning.

Once browned, mix in spices and garlic into the skillet, turn up the heat to medium fry with mixing, briefly, until aromatic, with garlic cooked. Tip in the tomatoes, add seasoning and bring to a simmer. Reduce to low heat and simmer slowly about 20 minutes. Ragu thickens, thicken and deepen in colour, while the oils split and rise to the top.

Use the back of a spoon forming wells across base, break eggs in. Dust with salt lightly salted, cover skillet. Heat for minutes over a low heat, when eggs set with yolks runny.

Take off the heat, garnish with peppers, parsley and yogurt, and oil splash, accompanied by lemon.