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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 firm whites and flowing center. The intense, dry heat in conventional ovens proves harsher versus moist heat, typically causing making dishes dry and harden the yolk. Presenting two flavorful bases to get started, though feel free to experiment. One is a super-simple turmeric coconut curry, whereas the spicy sausage sauce puts a twist on eggs in purgatory, or, to the likes of you and me, eggs baked in spicy tomato sauce.

Golden Coconut Sauce Steamed Eggs (pictured above)

Prep 10 minutes
Cooking time Just under an hour
Yields 2

Olive oil
1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
Sea salt
Two garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
Fresh ginger root, grated ginger
Turmeric powder
½ tbsp cumin seeds
6-8 curry leaves
Coconut milk
400g tin chickpeas
Basil leaves, plus extra to serve
4 eggs
Green chilies, julienned, to serve

Set a 25cm heavy cast-iron pot at moderate-high temperature. Pour in some oil, toss in the onion seasoned with salt, sauté for several minutes. Incorporate aromatics and spices, leave to sizzle, mixing now and then briefly, add coconut milk and the chickpeas and their tin liquid. Let it bubble, reduce to a simmer, allow to cook slowly about 35 minutes, until thickened and deep yellow in colour. Season with salt, mix in fresh basil.

With a spoon’s back making four indentations in the sauce, break eggs into each. Season eggs with a little salt, cover the skillet, gently heat for a few minutes, when whites are cooked with yolks still runny. Turn off stove, top with fresh herbs plus chili slices, ready to enjoy.

Spicy Sausage Sauce with Tangy Peppers Baked Eggs

Preparation Quick prep
Cook 45 minutes
Yields 2

Oil
Spicy lamb sausages
Harissa paste
Cumin seeds
Garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
Tomato base
Fine sea salt
Four eggs
Tangy peppers, roughly chopped
Chopped herbs, diced
Greek yogurt
Fresh lemon, wedge-cut, to serve

Use a heavy pan on a medium heat. Pour in oil once hot, peel sausages and pinch small amounts into the skillet, like mini balls. Lower temperature, brown the meat slowly, releasing flavorful oils. Move sausage pieces as they cook, for even browning.

Once browned, incorporate harissa, cumin, and garlic into the skillet, turn up the heat to medium sauté while stirring, for three to four minutes, until the mix smells fragrant, and the garlic has lost its raw edge. Tip in the tomatoes, salt to taste let it bubble. Lower to gentle simmer cooking gently for 20 minutes. Ragu thickens, become richer and darker, with oils separating and surfacing.

Use the back of a spoon making indentations within sauce, add eggs individually. Season eggs with a little salt, cover skillet. Simmer briefly gently, when eggs set and the yolks just warm.

Take off the heat, finish with chopped pickled peppers, parsley, a blob of yoghurt, plus oil drizzle, with lemon on side.