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Let me explain: the best baked eggs are made without baking. When testing these recipes, realizing that using a cover produces a humid atmosphere that gently cooks the eggs, yielding tender soft-cooked egg with firm whites and flowing center. The harsh, arid temperature of the oven is much more aggressive than steam, and has a tendency to dry everything out and harden the yolk. I’ve given you two sauces as a jumping-off point, but get creative. Option one involves a straightforward turmeric coconut curry, whereas the spicy sausage sauce puts a twist on classic tomato-baked eggs, or, to the likes of you and me, spicy tomato eggs.

Turmeric Coconut Curry Baked Eggs (featured)

Prep 10 min
Cooking time Just under an hour
Serves 2

Olive oil
1 onion, trimmed and minced
Salt
2 garlic cloves, crushed and chopped
Fresh ginger root, minced ginger
Turmeric powder
½ tbsp cumin seeds
Curry leaves
200ml coconut milk
400g tin chickpeas
Fresh basil, plus extra to serve
4 eggs
2 green finger chillies, julienned, as garnish

Use a heavy skillet over medium-high flame. Add a shot of olive oil, toss in the onion with some salt, sauté for several minutes. Mix in garlic, ginger, and spices, let them sizzle, mixing now and then for three to four minutes, then tip in the coconut milk and the chickpeas and their tin liquid. Let it bubble, lower heat to gentle cook, allow to cook slowly for 30-35 minutes, until thickened and deep yellow in colour. Adjust seasoning, mix in fresh basil.

Employ a utensil forming small wells in the sauce, add eggs individually. Sprinkle the top of each egg with salt, place a lid on the pan, gently heat for a few minutes, until egg whites firm and yolks warmed. Turn off stove, finish with a few extra basil leaves and thinly sliced finger chillies, and serve.

Spicy Sausage Sauce with Tangy Peppers Baked Eggs

Prep Quick prep
Cooking time Under an hour
Yields Two portions

Oil
Spicy lamb sausages
Harissa paste
Toasted cumin
2 garlic cloves, minced garlic
Canned tomatoes
Seasoning
Four eggs
1 handful pickled peppers, coarsely cut
1 small handful fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
Creamy yogurt
1 lemon, wedge-cut, for serving

Use a heavy pan over medium flame. Drizzle olive oil and, once it’s warm, remove the skins from the sausages forming small bits adding to pan, like mini balls. Lower temperature, then slowly brown the sausagemeat, releasing flavorful oils. Roll the merguez pieces around the pan during cooking, to brown evenly.

When golden, add the harissa, cumin seeds and sliced garlic into the skillet, turn up the heat to medium and cook, stirring, for several minutes, when fragrant, and garlic softens. Tip in the tomatoes, season with salt heat to simmer. Lower to gentle simmer and simmer slowly for twenty minutes. Sauce will thicken, become richer and darker, with oils separating and surfacing.

Employ utensil making indentations across base, break eggs in. Season eggs with a little salt, place lid on pan. Simmer briefly gently, when eggs set with yolks runny.

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