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So, hear me out: the best baked eggs never require an oven. When testing these recipes, realizing that using a cover generates steam for cooking the egg tops, yielding tender soft-cooked egg with a tender white and flowing center. The harsh, arid temperature in conventional ovens proves harsher than steam, often leading to dry everything out and overcook the yolk. Presenting two flavorful bases as inspiration, though feel free to experiment. The first features an easy golden coconut sauce, while the merguez ragu is a riff on eggs in purgatory, essentially, eggs baked in spicy tomato sauce.

Golden Coconut Sauce Steamed Eggs (featured)

Preparation 10 min
Cook Just under an hour
Yields Two people

Olive oil
1 onion, skinned and diced
Salt
2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
10g fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
Turmeric powder
Cumin seeds
Curry leaves
Coconut milk
Canned chickpeas
Fresh basil, with more for garnish
4 eggs
Green chilies, finely sliced, as garnish

Heat a cast-iron pan at moderate-high temperature. Drizzle olive oil, add the chopped onion and a pinch of salt, fry until softened. Add the garlic, ginger, turmeric, cumin seeds and curry leaves, let them sizzle, stirring occasionally for three to four minutes, add coconut milk along with chickpeas and liquid. Heat until boiling, then turn down to a simmer, and leave it to tick over for 30-35 minutes, when sauce is rich and yellow. Add salt to taste, then stir in the basil leaves.

Use the back of a spoon making four indentations across the base, break eggs into each. Dust each egg lightly salted, then cover the pan with a lid, gently heat briefly, until the whites are set and yolks warmed. Take off the heat, top with fresh herbs and sliced chilies, ready to enjoy.

Spicy Sausage Sauce with Tangy Peppers Baked Eggs

Preparation 10 minutes
Cook 45 minutes
Serves Two portions

Olive oil
2 merguez-style lamb sausages
1 tbsp harissa
Toasted cumin
Garlic cloves, sliced thin
Canned tomatoes
Salt
Four eggs
Tangy peppers, coarsely cut
Fresh parsley, finely chopped
3 tbsp thick Greek yoghurt
1 lemon, cut into wedges, to serve

Use a heavy pan on a medium heat. Add two tablespoons of olive oil once hot, peel sausages forming small bits of the meat into the pan, almost like little meatballs. Lower temperature, brown the meat slowly, so it renders out all that spicy, flavour-packed fat. Roll the merguez pieces around the pan as they cook, to brown evenly.

When golden, add the harissa, cumin seeds and sliced garlic to the pot, increase to medium heat and cook, stirring, for several minutes, when fragrant, with garlic cooked. Tip in the tomatoes, season with salt heat to simmer. Lower to gentle simmer and leave to blip away about 20 minutes. The ragu will reduce, intensify in color, as oils separate.

With a spoon making indentations in the sauce, then crack an egg into each. Dust with salt with a little salt, cover skillet. Cook for two to three minutes on low flame, until the whites are set and yolks warmed.

Turn off stove, garnish with peppers, parsley and yogurt, plus oil drizzle, and serve with lemon wedges.