Consider this: the best baked eggs don’t ever hit the oven. During recipe development, discovering that covering the pan creates a steamy environment that gently cooks the eggs, delivering a gently cooked delicately prepared egg with firm whites and a warm, runny yolk. Direct oven heat from baking is much more aggressive compared to steaming, typically causing making dishes dry and harden the yolk. Presenting two flavorful bases as a jumping-off point, though feel free to experiment. One is a super-simple golden coconut sauce, and the second offers a merguez ragu puts a twist on classic tomato-baked eggs, or simply put, eggs cooked in zesty tomato base.
Turmeric Coconut Curry Steamed Eggs (pictured above)
Preparation 10 min
Cooking time 55 min
Serves 2
Extra virgin oil
One medium onion, trimmed and minced
Salt
2 garlic cloves, crushed and chopped
10g fresh ginger, minced ginger
1 tbsp ground turmeric
½ tbsp cumin seeds
6-8 curry leaves
Coconut milk
Chickpeas
Fresh basil, and additional for topping
Four eggs
Green chilies, thinly cut, as garnish
Heat a cast-iron pan at moderate-high temperature. Pour in some oil, add the chopped onion and a pinch of salt, sauté for several minutes. Add the garlic, ginger, turmeric, cumin seeds and curry leaves, let them sizzle, mixing now and then for three to four minutes, pour in creamy liquid and the chickpeas and their tin liquid. Heat until boiling, then turn down to a simmer, allow to cook slowly for half an hour, until thick and golden. Adjust seasoning, mix in fresh basil.
Employ a utensil making four indentations in the sauce, add eggs individually. Sprinkle the top of each egg with a little salt, place a lid on the pan, gently heat briefly, when whites are cooked with yolks still runny. Remove from heat, garnish with more basil and sliced chilies, and serve.
Spicy Sausage Sauce and Pickled Peppers Baked Eggs
Prep 10 minutes
Cook 45 minutes
Yields Two portions
Oil
Spicy lamb sausages
Spicy paste
Toasted cumin
2 garlic cloves, sliced thin
Canned tomatoes
Salt
Fresh eggs
Pickled peppers, coarsely cut
1 small handful fresh flat-leaf parsley, diced
Greek yogurt
1 lemon, sliced into wedges, as garnish
Use a heavy pan over medium flame. Pour in oil once hot, remove the skins from the sausages and pinch small amounts into the skillet, like mini balls. Reduce heat, cook until golden, releasing flavorful oils. Stir merguez during cooking, to brown evenly.
After browning, incorporate harissa, cumin, and garlic into the skillet, increase to medium heat sauté while stirring, for three to four minutes, until the mix smells fragrant, with garlic cooked. Add tomatoes, salt to taste let it bubble. Reduce to low heat and simmer slowly about 20 minutes. Sauce will thicken, thicken and deepen in colour, with oils separating and surfacing.
Use the back of a spoon forming wells within sauce, add eggs individually. Season eggs lightly salted, place lid on pan. Heat for minutes gently, until the whites are set and yolks warmed.
Take off the heat, top with pickled peppers, parsley and yogurt, and a drizzle of oil, accompanied by lemon.
