🔗 Share this article

Let me explain: the best baked eggs are made without baking. When testing these recipes, I found that simply adding a lid creates a steamy environment to cook the top of the eggs, delivering a gently cooked soft-cooked egg with firm whites and flowing center. Direct oven heat of the oven acts stronger compared to steaming, and has a tendency making dishes dry and overcook the yolk. Presenting two flavorful bases as a jumping-off point, encouraging customization. One is a super-simple golden coconut sauce, while the merguez ragu is a riff on eggs in purgatory, or simply put, eggs cooked in zesty tomato base.

Golden Coconut Sauce Baked Eggs (featured)

Preparation 10 minutes
Cooking time 55 min
Yields 2

Extra virgin oil
1 onion, trimmed and minced
Sea salt
2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
Fresh ginger root, minced ginger
Turmeric powder
Toasted cumin
Aromatic leaves
Coconut milk
Chickpeas
Fresh basil, and additional for topping
Fresh eggs
Green chilies, finely sliced, for serving

Set a 25cm heavy cast-iron pot over medium-high flame. Pour in some oil, add the chopped onion and a pinch of salt, and cook for five to six minutes. Mix in garlic, ginger, and spices, leave to sizzle, mixing now and then for a few minutes, then tip in the coconut milk including chickpea can contents. Heat until boiling, lower heat to gentle cook, allow to cook slowly for half an hour, when sauce is rich and yellow. Season with salt, then stir in the basil leaves.

Employ a utensil forming small wells across the base, then crack an egg into each. Sprinkle the top of each egg lightly salted, then cover the pan with a lid, simmer over low heat for a few minutes, until egg whites firm with yolks still runny. Take off the heat, garnish with more basil and thinly sliced finger chillies, and serve.

Merguez Ragu and Pickled Peppers Baked Eggs

Preparation 10 minutes
Cook 45 minutes
Yields Two portions

Olive oil
Spicy lamb sausages
Spicy paste
Toasted cumin
2 garlic cloves, minced garlic
Canned tomatoes
Salt
4 eggs
Tangy peppers, diced
Fresh parsley, finely chopped
Greek yogurt
Fresh lemon, wedge-cut, as garnish

Heat a skillet over medium flame. Pour in oil and, once it’s warm, remove the skins from the sausages forming small bits adding to pan, resembling tiny meatballs. Turn down the heat, cook until golden, extracting spicy fats. Roll the merguez pieces around the pan while cooking, to brown evenly.

After browning, incorporate harissa, cumin, and garlic into the skillet, turn up the heat to medium sauté while stirring, for three to four minutes, until aromatic, with garlic cooked. Add tomatoes, salt to taste heat to simmer. Lower to gentle simmer and leave to blip away about 20 minutes. Ragu thickens, thicken and deepen in colour, with oils separating and surfacing.

Use the back of a spoon forming wells across base, break eggs in. Sprinkle the top of each egg with a little salt, cover skillet. Cook for two to three minutes gently, until the whites are set and the yolks just warm.

Turn off stove, finish with chopped pickled peppers, parsley and yogurt, plus oil drizzle, and serve with lemon wedges.