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So, hear me out: the most delicious egg dishes never require an oven. Through culinary experiments, realizing that using a cover produces a humid atmosphere to cook the top of the eggs, yielding tender delicately prepared egg featuring set whites and a warm, runny yolk. The harsh, arid temperature of the oven acts stronger compared to steaming, and has a tendency making dishes dry resulting in firm yolks. I’ve given you two sauces to get started, encouraging customization. Option one involves a straightforward golden coconut sauce, and the second offers a merguez ragu puts a twist on classic tomato-baked eggs, or, to the likes of you and me, eggs cooked in zesty tomato base.

Turmeric Coconut Curry Steamed Eggs (pictured above)

Preparation 10 minutes
Cook 55 minutes
Yields 2

Extra virgin oil
One medium onion, trimmed and minced
Salt
Two garlic cloves, crushed and chopped
10g fresh ginger, minced ginger
Golden spice
½ tbsp cumin seeds
Curry leaves
Creamy coconut
Canned chickpeas
Fresh basil, plus extra to serve
4 eggs
Fresh chilies, finely sliced, as garnish

Set a 25cm heavy cast-iron pot on a medium-high heat. Pour in some oil, incorporate onions seasoned with salt, sauté for several minutes. Mix in garlic, ginger, and spices, allow to cook, stirring occasionally for three to four minutes, then tip in the coconut milk along with chickpeas and liquid. Heat until boiling, lower heat to gentle cook, let it simmer about 35 minutes, when sauce is rich and yellow. Adjust seasoning, mix in fresh basil.

Employ a utensil making four indentations within the sauce, break eggs into each. Season eggs lightly salted, place a lid on the pan, simmer over low heat for two to three minutes, until the whites are set with yolks still runny. Turn off stove, top with fresh herbs and thinly sliced finger chillies, and serve.

Merguez Ragu and Pickled Peppers Baked Eggs

Prep 10 minutes
Cook 45 min
Serves Two portions

Oil
Merguez sausages
1 tbsp harissa
Toasted cumin
Garlic cloves, minced garlic
Canned tomatoes
Seasoning
4 eggs
Tangy peppers, roughly chopped
Chopped herbs, diced
Greek yogurt
Fresh lemon, cut into wedges, as garnish

Use a heavy pan on a medium heat. Pour in oil when heated, peel sausages and break off pieces into the skillet, resembling tiny meatballs. Turn down the heat, brown the meat slowly, so it renders out all that spicy, flavour-packed fat. Roll the merguez pieces around the pan during cooking, to brown evenly.

After browning, incorporate harissa, cumin, and garlic into the skillet, increase to medium heat fry with mixing, for several minutes, until the mix smells fragrant, with garlic cooked. Pour in tomato contents, season with salt and bring to a simmer. Turn down the heat to low and simmer slowly about 20 minutes. Sauce will thicken, intensify in color, with oils separating and surfacing.

With a spoon to create four little pockets across base, then crack an egg into each. Sprinkle the top of each egg lightly salted, cover skillet. Cook for two to three minutes on low flame, until the whites are set and yolks warmed.

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