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So, hear me out: the most delicious egg dishes never require an oven. When testing these recipes, discovering that covering the pan creates a steamy environment that gently cooks the eggs, delivering a gently cooked perfectly poached egg with firm whites and flowing center. Direct oven heat of the oven acts stronger than steam, often leading to dry everything out and overcook the yolk. Presenting two flavorful bases as inspiration, though feel free to experiment. One is a super-simple turmeric coconut curry, and the second offers a merguez ragu is a riff on traditional spicy eggs, essentially, eggs baked in spicy tomato sauce.

Turmeric Coconut Curry Steamed Eggs (shown above)

Preparation 10 min
Cooking time 55 min
Yields Two people

Extra virgin oil
One medium onion, peeled and finely chopped
Salt
2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
Fresh ginger root, minced ginger
1 tbsp ground turmeric
Toasted cumin
Curry leaves
200ml coconut milk
Chickpeas
Fresh basil, plus extra to serve
Four eggs
Green chilies, finely sliced, to serve

Set a 25cm heavy cast-iron pot at moderate-high temperature. Pour in some oil, add the chopped onion with some salt, sauté for several minutes. Incorporate aromatics and spices, allow to cook, occasionally stirring for a few minutes, add coconut milk including chickpea can contents. Bring to a boil, lower heat to gentle cook, and leave it to tick over for 30-35 minutes, until thickened and deep yellow in colour. Adjust seasoning, incorporate basil.

With a spoon’s back forming small wells in the sauce, add eggs individually. Season eggs lightly salted, place a lid on the pan, gently heat for a few minutes, when whites are cooked and the yolks just warm. Take off the heat, garnish with more basil and thinly sliced finger chillies, then serve immediately.

Merguez Ragu with Tangy Peppers Steamed Eggs

Preparation 10 minutes
Cooking time Under an hour
Serves Two

Olive oil
Merguez sausages
1 tbsp harissa
1 tsp cumin seeds
Garlic cloves, minced garlic
400g good-quality tinned tomatoes
Salt
4 eggs
Pickled peppers, diced
Chopped herbs, diced
Creamy yogurt
1 lemon, sliced into wedges, as garnish

Heat a skillet at moderate temperature. Drizzle olive oil and, once it’s warm, take off sausage casings forming small bits adding to pan, resembling tiny meatballs. Lower temperature, brown the meat slowly, releasing flavorful oils. Roll the merguez pieces around the pan as they cook, for even browning.

After browning, incorporate harissa, cumin, and garlic to the pot, adjust to moderate flame fry with mixing, for three to four minutes, when fragrant, with garlic cooked. Tip in the tomatoes, add seasoning let it bubble. Reduce to low heat and simmer slowly about 20 minutes. Sauce will thicken, thicken and deepen in colour, while the oils split and rise to the top.

Employ utensil making indentations in the sauce, add eggs individually. Sprinkle the top of each egg lightly salted, place lid on pan. Heat for minutes on low flame, until the whites are set with yolks runny.

Turn off stove, top with pickled peppers, parsley, a blob of yoghurt, and oil splash, and serve with lemon wedges.