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Let me explain: the most delicious egg dishes are made without baking. During recipe development, discovering that covering the pan generates steam that gently cooks the eggs, delivering a gently cooked perfectly poached egg with a tender white and flowing center. The harsh, arid temperature from baking is much more aggressive than steam, and has a tendency to dehydrate ingredients and overcook the yolk. Here are two sauce options to get started, though feel free to experiment. One is a super-simple turmeric coconut curry, and the second offers a merguez ragu reimagines eggs in purgatory, essentially, spicy tomato eggs.

Golden Coconut Sauce Steamed Eggs (featured)

Preparation 10 min
Cook 55 minutes
Serves Two servings

Extra virgin oil
One medium onion, peeled and finely chopped
Sea salt
Two garlic cloves, crushed and chopped
10g fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
Turmeric powder
Toasted cumin
Aromatic leaves
Coconut milk
Canned chickpeas
A few basil leaves, plus extra to serve
Four eggs
Green chilies, finely sliced, as garnish

Use a heavy skillet on a medium-high heat. Pour in some oil, toss in the onion seasoned with salt, sauté for several minutes. Add the garlic, ginger, turmeric, cumin seeds and curry leaves, leave to sizzle, occasionally stirring for three to four minutes, then tip in the coconut milk including chickpea can contents. Let it bubble, reduce to a simmer, let it simmer about 35 minutes, until thickened and deep yellow in colour. Add salt to taste, mix in fresh basil.

Use the back of a spoon to create four little pockets in the sauce, then crack an egg into each. Sprinkle the top of each egg with salt, place a lid on the pan, and cook on a low heat briefly, until egg whites firm and yolks warmed. Turn off stove, finish with a few extra basil leaves and sliced chilies, then serve immediately.

Merguez Ragu with Tangy Peppers Steamed Eggs

Preparation 10 min
Cook Under an hour
Serves 2

Oil
Merguez sausages
Harissa paste
1 tsp cumin seeds
Garlic cloves, minced garlic
Canned tomatoes
Fine sea salt
4 eggs
Pickled peppers, coarsely cut
Chopped herbs, finely chopped
Creamy yogurt
1 lemon, wedge-cut, as garnish

Heat a skillet at moderate temperature. Add two tablespoons of olive oil when heated, peel sausages and pinch small amounts into the skillet, like mini balls. Turn down the heat, cook until golden, releasing flavorful oils. Roll the merguez pieces around the pan as they cook, for even browning.

When golden, add the harissa, cumin seeds and sliced garlic to the pan, adjust to moderate flame fry with mixing, for several minutes, until aromatic, with garlic cooked. Pour in tomato contents, season with salt let it bubble. Lower to gentle simmer and leave to blip away for twenty minutes. Sauce will thicken, thicken and deepen in colour, while the oils split and rise to the top.

With a spoon to create four little pockets in the sauce, break eggs in. Season eggs with a little salt, place lid on pan. Simmer briefly gently, until the whites are set and the yolks just warm.

Remove from heat, finish with chopped pickled peppers, parsley and yogurt, plus oil drizzle, with lemon on side.