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Consider this: the most delicious egg dishes don’t ever hit the oven. During recipe development, I found that simply adding a lid generates steam that gently cooks the eggs, resulting in perfectly cooked soft-cooked egg with firm whites and flowing center. The intense, dry heat in conventional ovens acts stronger versus moist heat, typically causing to dry everything out and overcook the yolk. Presenting two flavorful bases as a jumping-off point, though feel free to experiment. Option one involves a straightforward golden coconut sauce, and the second offers a merguez ragu puts a twist on traditional spicy eggs, or simply put, eggs cooked in zesty tomato base.

Turmeric Coconut Curry Steamed Eggs (featured)

Prep A quick 10 minutes
Cook 55 minutes
Yields Two people

Olive oil
1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
Fine sea salt
2 garlic cloves, minced garlic
10g fresh ginger, minced ginger
Turmeric powder
½ tbsp cumin seeds
Aromatic leaves
200ml coconut milk
400g tin chickpeas
Fresh basil, with more for garnish
Four eggs
2 green finger chillies, finely sliced, as garnish

Heat a cast-iron pan over medium-high flame. Pour in some oil, incorporate onions seasoned with salt, sauté for several minutes. Mix in garlic, ginger, and spices, leave to sizzle, stirring occasionally for a few minutes, add 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, incorporate basil.

With a spoon’s back to create four little pockets across the base, then crack an egg into each. Dust each egg with a little salt, then cover the pan with a lid, gently heat for two to three minutes, until the whites are set and yolks warmed. Turn off stove, finish with a few extra basil leaves and thinly sliced finger chillies, then serve immediately.

Spicy Sausage Sauce with Tangy Peppers Steamed Eggs

Prep Quick prep
Cooking time 45 minutes
Yields Two

Oil
Spicy lamb sausages
Harissa paste
Cumin seeds
2 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
400g good-quality tinned tomatoes
Salt
Four eggs
1 handful pickled peppers, coarsely cut
1 small handful fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
Greek yogurt
1 lemon, wedge-cut, as garnish

Heat a skillet on a medium heat. Drizzle olive oil and, once it’s warm, remove the skins from the sausages forming small bits into the skillet, resembling tiny meatballs. Lower temperature, cook until golden, so it renders out all that spicy, flavour-packed fat. Stir merguez as they cook, to brown evenly.

After browning, incorporate harissa, cumin, and garlic into the skillet, adjust to moderate flame fry with mixing, briefly, when fragrant, and the garlic has lost its raw edge. Pour in tomato contents, salt to taste and bring to a simmer. Reduce to low heat cooking gently for twenty minutes. The ragu will reduce, become richer and darker, while the oils split and rise to the top.

With a spoon forming wells across base, then crack an egg into each. Dust with salt with a little salt, then cover the pan with a lid. Cook for two to three minutes on low flame, until the whites are set and yolks warmed.

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