🔗 Share this article

Let me explain: the best baked eggs never require an oven. During recipe development, I found that simply adding a lid produces a humid atmosphere that gently cooks the eggs, delivering a gently cooked soft-cooked egg featuring set whites plus liquid yolk. The harsh, arid temperature in conventional ovens acts stronger compared to steaming, typically causing to dry everything out resulting in firm yolks. Here are two sauce options to get started, though feel free to experiment. Option one involves a straightforward turmeric coconut curry, and the second offers a merguez ragu is a riff on traditional spicy eggs, or simply put, eggs baked in spicy tomato sauce.

Turmeric Coconut Curry Baked Eggs (featured)

Prep 10 min
Cooking time 55 minutes
Yields 2

Olive oil
1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
Fine sea salt
2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
10g fresh ginger, minced ginger
1 tbsp ground turmeric
Cumin seeds
6-8 curry leaves
Creamy coconut
Chickpeas
Basil leaves, plus extra to serve
Four eggs
2 green finger chillies, thinly cut, to serve

Use a heavy skillet on a medium-high heat. Drizzle olive oil, incorporate onions with some salt, sauté for several minutes. Add the garlic, ginger, turmeric, cumin seeds and curry leaves, allow to cook, stirring occasionally for three to four minutes, then tip in the coconut milk along with chickpeas and liquid. Bring to a boil, then turn down to a simmer, allow to cook slowly about 35 minutes, until thick and golden. Add salt to taste, then stir in the basil leaves.

Use the back of a spoon to create four little pockets across the base, break eggs into each. Dust each egg lightly salted, cover the skillet, gently heat for two to three minutes, until egg whites firm and the yolks just warm. Take off the heat, garnish with more basil plus chili slices, ready to enjoy.

Spicy Sausage Sauce with Tangy Peppers Steamed Eggs

Prep 10 min
Cook 45 minutes
Yields 2

Olive oil
Spicy lamb sausages
Spicy paste
1 tsp cumin seeds
Garlic cloves, sliced thin
Tomato base
Fine sea salt
4 eggs
Pickled peppers, coarsely cut
Chopped herbs, finely chopped
Creamy yogurt
Fresh lemon, sliced into wedges, to serve

Use a heavy pan on a medium heat. Add two tablespoons of olive oil and, once it’s warm, peel sausages and pinch small amounts into the skillet, resembling tiny meatballs. Lower temperature, then slowly brown the sausagemeat, releasing flavorful oils. Stir merguez during cooking, so they colour on all sides.

Once browned, mix in spices 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 garlic softens. Tip in the tomatoes, salt to taste and bring to a simmer. Turn down the heat to low cooking gently about 20 minutes. Ragu thickens, thicken and deepen in colour, as oils separate.

With a spoon forming wells across base, add eggs individually. Season eggs lightly salted, then cover the pan with a lid. Simmer briefly over a low heat, until the whites are set with yolks runny.

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