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Let me explain: the best baked eggs never require an oven. Through culinary experiments, discovering that covering the pan produces a humid atmosphere that gently cooks the eggs, delivering a gently cooked soft-cooked egg with firm whites and a warm, runny yolk. Direct oven heat from baking is much more aggressive than steam, and has a tendency to dehydrate ingredients and overcook the yolk. Here are two sauce options as a jumping-off point, though feel free to experiment. Option one involves a straightforward golden coconut sauce, whereas the spicy sausage sauce puts a twist on traditional spicy eggs, or simply put, eggs baked in spicy tomato sauce.

Turmeric Coconut Curry Baked Eggs (featured)

Preparation A quick 10 minutes
Cook 55 min
Serves 2

Olive oil
1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
Sea salt
2 garlic cloves, crushed and chopped
Fresh ginger root, grated ginger
Golden spice
Toasted cumin
Curry leaves
Coconut milk
Chickpeas
Fresh basil, plus extra to serve
Four eggs
Green chilies, finely sliced, for serving

Set a 25cm heavy cast-iron pot over medium-high flame. Drizzle olive oil, incorporate onions and a pinch of salt, sauté for several minutes. Incorporate aromatics and spices, let them sizzle, occasionally stirring briefly, then tip in the coconut milk along with chickpeas and liquid. Let it bubble, lower heat to gentle cook, allow to cook slowly for 30-35 minutes, when sauce is rich and yellow. Season with salt, mix in fresh basil.

With a spoon’s back to create four little pockets across the base, break eggs into each. Season eggs lightly salted, cover the skillet, and cook on a low heat for a few minutes, until the whites are set with yolks still runny. Remove from heat, top with fresh herbs plus chili slices, ready to enjoy.

Merguez Ragu with Tangy Peppers Baked Eggs

Prep 10 minutes
Cooking time 45 min
Yields Two

Olive oil
2 merguez-style lamb sausages
Harissa paste
Cumin seeds
2 garlic cloves, sliced thin
Tomato base
Salt
Four eggs
Tangy peppers, roughly chopped
1 small handful fresh flat-leaf parsley, diced
3 tbsp thick Greek yoghurt
1 lemon, wedge-cut, as garnish

Use a heavy pan on a medium heat. Add two tablespoons of olive oil when heated, take off sausage casings and pinch small amounts of the meat into the pan, resembling tiny meatballs. Lower temperature, cook until golden, so it renders out all that spicy, flavour-packed fat. Roll the merguez pieces around the pan during cooking, to brown evenly.

When golden, mix in spices and garlic into the skillet, increase to medium heat fry with mixing, briefly, until aromatic, and garlic softens. Tip in the tomatoes, season with salt heat to simmer. Lower to gentle simmer cooking gently for 20 minutes. Ragu thickens, become richer and darker, as oils separate.

Use the back of a spoon to create four little pockets in the sauce, then crack an egg into each. Season eggs lightly salted, then cover the pan with a lid. Cook for two to three minutes gently, until whites firm with yolks runny.

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