🔗 Share this article

So, hear me out: the most delicious egg dishes don’t ever hit the oven. Through culinary experiments, realizing that using a cover generates steam to cook the top of the eggs, resulting in perfectly cooked delicately prepared egg with firm whites and flowing center. The harsh, arid temperature of the oven acts stronger versus moist heat, often leading making dishes dry resulting in firm yolks. Presenting two flavorful bases to get started, but get creative. Option one involves a straightforward golden coconut sauce, whereas the spicy sausage sauce reimagines eggs in purgatory, or simply put, spicy tomato eggs.

Golden Coconut Sauce Steamed Eggs (featured)

Preparation 10 minutes
Cooking time 55 min
Serves Two people

Olive oil
1 onion, trimmed and minced
Sea salt
Two garlic cloves, minced garlic
Fresh ginger root, peeled and finely chopped
Turmeric powder
½ tbsp cumin seeds
Curry leaves
Creamy coconut
Chickpeas
Fresh basil, with more for garnish
Fresh eggs
Green chilies, julienned, as garnish

Heat a cast-iron pan at moderate-high temperature. Drizzle olive oil, toss in the onion and a pinch of salt, fry until softened. Add the garlic, ginger, turmeric, cumin seeds and curry leaves, let them sizzle, occasionally stirring for three to four minutes, add coconut milk including chickpea can contents. Heat until boiling, lower heat to gentle cook, allow to cook slowly for half an hour, until thickened and deep yellow in colour. Adjust seasoning, incorporate basil.

Employ a utensil forming small wells in the sauce, then crack an egg into each. Sprinkle the top of each egg with salt, place a lid on the pan, gently heat briefly, until egg whites firm and the yolks just warm. Turn off stove, garnish with more basil and sliced chilies, then serve immediately.

Spicy Sausage Sauce and Pickled Peppers Steamed Eggs

Prep 10 min
Cooking time Under an hour
Serves 2

Oil
Merguez sausages
Harissa paste
Toasted cumin
2 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
400g good-quality tinned tomatoes
Fine sea salt
4 eggs
Pickled peppers, diced
Fresh parsley, finely chopped
Creamy yogurt
1 lemon, cut into wedges, to serve

Set a 25cm heavy cast-iron pot over medium flame. Drizzle olive oil and, once it’s warm, peel sausages and break off pieces adding to pan, resembling tiny meatballs. Turn down the heat, then slowly brown the sausagemeat, extracting spicy fats. Roll the merguez pieces around the pan while cooking, so they colour on all sides.

After browning, add the harissa, cumin seeds and sliced garlic into the skillet, increase to medium heat fry with mixing, briefly, when fragrant, with garlic cooked. Tip in the tomatoes, add seasoning heat to simmer. Turn down the heat to low and simmer slowly about 20 minutes. Ragu thickens, become richer and darker, as oils separate.

Employ utensil making indentations in the sauce, break eggs in. Sprinkle the top of each egg lightly salted, cover skillet. Cook for two to three minutes on low flame, when eggs 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.