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So, hear me out: the best baked eggs don’t ever hit the oven. Through culinary experiments, realizing that using a cover produces a humid atmosphere that gently cooks the eggs, yielding tender soft-cooked egg with a tender white and flowing center. The harsh, arid temperature in conventional ovens proves harsher than steam, typically causing to dehydrate ingredients resulting in firm yolks. Here are two sauce options as inspiration, though feel free to experiment. Option one involves a straightforward golden coconut sauce, while the merguez ragu reimagines classic tomato-baked eggs, essentially, spicy tomato eggs.

Golden Coconut Sauce Baked Eggs (pictured above)

Preparation 10 min
Cooking time 55 min
Yields Two servings

Olive oil
One medium onion, trimmed and minced
Fine sea salt
Two garlic cloves, crushed and chopped
10g fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
Turmeric powder
½ tbsp cumin seeds
Curry leaves
Creamy coconut
Canned chickpeas
Fresh basil, with more for garnish
Four eggs
2 green finger chillies, julienned, as garnish

Use a heavy skillet over medium-high flame. Pour in some oil, incorporate onions and a pinch of salt, and cook for five to six minutes. Incorporate aromatics and spices, leave to sizzle, occasionally stirring for three to four minutes, pour in creamy liquid including chickpea can contents. Bring to a boil, then turn down to a simmer, allow to cook slowly for half an hour, when sauce is rich and yellow. Adjust seasoning, incorporate basil.

With a spoon’s back making four indentations in the sauce, add eggs individually. 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. Take off the heat, finish with a few extra basil leaves plus chili slices, ready to enjoy.

Merguez Ragu and Pickled Peppers Baked Eggs

Prep Quick prep
Cook 45 minutes
Yields 2

Olive oil
Merguez sausages
1 tbsp harissa
1 tsp cumin seeds
2 garlic cloves, minced garlic
Canned tomatoes
Salt
Four eggs
1 handful pickled peppers, diced
Fresh parsley, finely chopped
3 tbsp thick Greek yoghurt
Fresh lemon, cut into wedges, to serve

Use a heavy pan on a medium heat. Drizzle olive oil once hot, peel sausages forming small bits adding to pan, resembling tiny meatballs. Lower temperature, then slowly brown the sausagemeat, releasing flavorful oils. Roll the merguez pieces around the pan during cooking, to brown evenly.

After browning, incorporate harissa, cumin, and garlic to the pot, increase to medium heat sauté while stirring, for several minutes, until aromatic, and garlic softens. Pour in tomato contents, salt to taste heat to simmer. Reduce to low heat and simmer slowly for 20 minutes. The ragu will reduce, intensify in color, as oils separate.

Use the back of a spoon to create four little pockets across base, then crack an egg into each. Sprinkle the top of each egg with salt, cover skillet. Heat for minutes on low flame, when eggs set and the yolks just warm.

Turn off stove, finish with chopped pickled peppers, parsley and yogurt, and oil splash, and serve with lemon wedges.