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Consider this: the best baked eggs are made without baking. During recipe development, realizing that using a cover produces a humid atmosphere that gently cooks the eggs, resulting in perfectly cooked perfectly poached egg featuring set whites and flowing center. The harsh, arid temperature from baking proves harsher versus moist heat, typically causing to dehydrate ingredients resulting in firm yolks. Presenting two flavorful bases as a jumping-off point, encouraging customization. One is a super-simple turmeric coconut curry, while the merguez ragu reimagines traditional spicy eggs, or, to the likes of you and me, eggs cooked in zesty tomato base.

Golden Coconut Sauce Steamed Eggs (shown above)

Prep 10 min
Cook 55 min
Yields Two people

Extra virgin oil
1 onion, skinned and diced
Salt
Two garlic cloves, crushed and chopped
Fresh ginger root, peeled and finely chopped
Turmeric powder
½ tbsp cumin seeds
6-8 curry leaves
200ml coconut milk
Canned chickpeas
Fresh basil, with more for garnish
Fresh eggs
Fresh chilies, thinly cut, for serving

Use a heavy skillet over medium-high flame. Add a shot of olive oil, add the chopped onion seasoned with salt, fry until softened. Add the garlic, ginger, turmeric, cumin seeds and curry leaves, allow to cook, occasionally stirring for a few minutes, pour in creamy liquid and the chickpeas and their tin liquid. Let it bubble, lower heat to gentle cook, allow to cook slowly about 35 minutes, until thick and golden. Adjust seasoning, mix in fresh basil.

Employ a utensil making four indentations across the base, break eggs into each. Season eggs lightly salted, cover the skillet, simmer over low heat for two to three minutes, when whites are cooked with yolks still runny. Remove from heat, finish with a few extra basil leaves and thinly sliced finger chillies, and serve.

Merguez Ragu and Pickled Peppers Steamed Eggs

Preparation 10 minutes
Cook 45 minutes
Serves 2

Oil
Merguez sausages
Spicy paste
1 tsp cumin seeds
Garlic cloves, sliced thin
Tomato base
Seasoning
Four eggs
Tangy peppers, roughly chopped
1 small handful fresh flat-leaf parsley, minced
Greek yogurt
Fresh lemon, cut into wedges, to serve

Heat a skillet over medium flame. Add two tablespoons of olive oil when heated, peel sausages and pinch small amounts adding to pan, almost like little meatballs. Lower temperature, then slowly brown the sausagemeat, so it renders out all that spicy, flavour-packed fat. Move sausage pieces while cooking, so they colour on all sides.

When golden, mix in spices and garlic to the pan, turn up the heat to medium fry with mixing, for three to four minutes, when fragrant, and the garlic has lost its raw edge. Add tomatoes, add seasoning let it bubble. Reduce to low heat and leave to blip away for twenty minutes. Sauce will thicken, intensify in color, while the oils split and rise to the top.

With a spoon making indentations in the sauce, break eggs in. Season eggs with a little salt, then cover the pan with a lid. Heat for minutes over a low heat, when eggs set and the yolks just warm.

Turn off stove, top with pickled peppers, herbs, yogurt dollop, plus oil drizzle, accompanied by lemon.