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Let me explain: the most delicious egg dishes never require an oven. During recipe development, discovering that covering the pan creates a steamy environment for cooking the egg tops, delivering a gently cooked delicately prepared egg with a tender white and flowing center. Direct oven heat in conventional ovens acts stronger compared to steaming, typically causing making dishes dry resulting in firm yolks. I’ve given you two sauces as inspiration, encouraging customization. One is a super-simple golden coconut sauce, whereas the spicy sausage sauce puts a twist on classic tomato-baked eggs, or simply put, eggs cooked in zesty tomato base.

Golden Coconut Sauce Steamed Eggs (featured)

Prep 10 min
Cook 55 min
Serves 2

Olive oil
1 onion, skinned and diced
Fine sea salt
Two garlic cloves, crushed and chopped
Fresh ginger root, peeled and finely chopped
Turmeric powder
Cumin seeds
6-8 curry leaves
200ml coconut milk
Canned chickpeas
Fresh basil, plus extra to serve
Four eggs
Green chilies, julienned, for serving

Heat a cast-iron pan on a medium-high heat. Add a shot of olive oil, incorporate onions seasoned with salt, fry until softened. Incorporate aromatics and spices, allow to cook, stirring occasionally for a few minutes, add coconut milk along with chickpeas and liquid. Bring to a boil, lower heat to gentle cook, allow to cook slowly about 35 minutes, until thick and golden. Adjust seasoning, then stir in the basil leaves.

Use the back of a spoon making four indentations across the base, add eggs individually. Dust each egg with salt, place a lid on the pan, gently heat for two to three minutes, when whites are cooked and yolks warmed. Take off the heat, garnish with more basil and thinly sliced finger chillies, and serve.

Merguez Ragu and Pickled Peppers Steamed Eggs

Prep 10 minutes
Cook 45 minutes
Yields Two

Oil
2 merguez-style lamb sausages
1 tbsp harissa
Cumin seeds
2 garlic cloves, minced garlic
Tomato base
Seasoning
Four eggs
1 handful pickled peppers, roughly chopped
Chopped herbs, finely chopped
3 tbsp thick Greek yoghurt
1 lemon, cut into wedges, to serve

Set a 25cm heavy cast-iron pot on a medium heat. Drizzle olive oil and, once it’s warm, peel sausages forming small bits into the skillet, almost like little meatballs. Reduce heat, brown the meat slowly, releasing flavorful oils. Stir merguez while cooking, for even browning.

After browning, mix in spices and garlic to the pan, turn up the heat to medium and cook, stirring, briefly, when fragrant, with garlic cooked. Pour in tomato contents, season with salt heat to simmer. Turn down the heat to low and leave to blip away for twenty minutes. The ragu will reduce, become richer and darker, as oils separate.

With a spoon to create four little pockets across base, add eggs individually. Season eggs lightly salted, 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 a drizzle of oil, accompanied by lemon.