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So, hear me out: the best baked eggs don’t ever hit the oven. During recipe development, realizing that using a cover generates steam that gently cooks the eggs, delivering a gently cooked soft-cooked egg featuring set whites and a warm, runny yolk. The intense, dry heat of the oven acts stronger versus moist heat, often leading to dehydrate ingredients and harden the yolk. Here are two sauce options as inspiration, encouraging customization. One is a super-simple golden coconut sauce, while the merguez ragu puts a twist on traditional spicy eggs, or simply put, eggs baked in spicy tomato sauce.

Golden Coconut Sauce Baked Eggs (shown above)

Preparation 10 min
Cook Just under an hour
Serves 2

Olive oil
One medium onion, trimmed and minced
Fine sea salt
Two garlic cloves, minced garlic
10g fresh ginger, minced ginger
1 tbsp ground turmeric
½ tbsp cumin seeds
6-8 curry leaves
Creamy coconut
Canned chickpeas
Basil leaves, with more for garnish
4 eggs
2 green finger chillies, finely sliced, as garnish

Use a heavy skillet on a medium-high heat. Add a shot of olive oil, add the chopped onion with some salt, fry until softened. Incorporate aromatics and spices, let them sizzle, occasionally stirring for three to four minutes, then tip in the coconut milk along with chickpeas and liquid. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, let it simmer about 35 minutes, until thickened and deep yellow in colour. Adjust seasoning, then stir in the basil leaves.

Use the back of a spoon making four indentations within the sauce, add eggs individually. Sprinkle the top of each egg with a little salt, cover the skillet, and cook on a low heat for a few minutes, when whites are cooked with yolks still runny. Remove from heat, garnish with more basil and thinly sliced finger chillies, ready to enjoy.

Merguez Ragu and Pickled Peppers Baked Eggs

Prep 10 minutes
Cook Under an hour
Serves Two

Olive oil
2 merguez-style lamb sausages
Harissa paste
Toasted cumin
2 garlic cloves, sliced thin
Canned tomatoes
Fine sea salt
4 eggs
1 handful pickled peppers, roughly chopped
Chopped herbs, diced
Greek yogurt
1 lemon, wedge-cut, for serving

Set a 25cm heavy cast-iron pot at moderate temperature. Pour in oil and, once it’s warm, remove the skins from the sausages and pinch small amounts of the meat into the pan, almost like little meatballs. Reduce heat, cook until golden, releasing flavorful oils. Move sausage pieces while cooking, to brown evenly.

When golden, mix in spices and garlic to the pan, increase to medium heat fry with mixing, for several minutes, when fragrant, and garlic softens. Pour in tomato contents, salt to taste and bring to a simmer. Reduce to low heat and simmer slowly for twenty minutes. Ragu thickens, intensify in color, while the oils split and rise to the top.

Employ utensil making indentations 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 and yolks warmed.

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