Turmeric Coconut Curry and Spicy Sausage Sauce: Ben Lippett's Baked Eggs Cooking Methods

Let me explain: the most delicious egg dishes are made without baking. Through culinary experiments, realizing that using a cover creates a steamy environment for cooking the egg tops, yielding tender delicately prepared egg with firm whites plus liquid yolk. The intense, dry heat in conventional ovens acts stronger than steam, and has a tendency making dishes dry and harden the yolk. Here are two sauce options as a jumping-off point, encouraging customization. Option one involves a straightforward turmeric coconut curry, whereas the spicy sausage sauce is a riff on traditional spicy eggs, essentially, spicy tomato eggs.

Golden Coconut Sauce Steamed Eggs (shown above)

Preparation 10 min
Cook 55 minutes
Yields Two servings

Extra virgin oil
1 onion, skinned and diced
Sea salt
2 garlic cloves, crushed and chopped
10g fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
Golden spice
Toasted cumin
Curry leaves
Creamy coconut
400g tin chickpeas
Fresh basil, with more for garnish
4 eggs
2 green finger chillies, julienned, as garnish

Set a 25cm heavy cast-iron pot on a medium-high heat. Pour in some oil, incorporate onions seasoned with salt, fry until softened. Add the garlic, ginger, turmeric, cumin seeds and curry leaves, leave to sizzle, occasionally stirring for three to four minutes, add coconut milk including chickpea can contents. Bring to a boil, then turn down to a simmer, let it simmer for half an hour, when sauce is rich and yellow. Season with salt, then stir in the basil leaves.

Use the back of a spoon to create four little pockets within the sauce, add eggs individually. Sprinkle the top of each egg lightly salted, cover the skillet, simmer over low heat for two to three minutes, until egg whites firm and the yolks just warm. Remove from heat, top with fresh herbs and thinly sliced finger chillies, and serve.

Spicy Sausage Sauce with Tangy Peppers Baked Eggs

Preparation 10 minutes
Cook 45 minutes
Yields Two

Olive oil
Spicy lamb sausages
Harissa paste
Cumin seeds
Garlic cloves, minced garlic
400g good-quality tinned tomatoes
Fine sea salt
Fresh eggs
Pickled peppers, diced
Fresh parsley, minced
Greek yogurt
1 lemon, sliced into wedges, for serving

Use a heavy pan on a medium heat. Add two tablespoons of olive oil once hot, take off sausage casings and break off pieces adding to pan, like mini balls. Reduce heat, cook until golden, extracting spicy fats. Stir merguez while cooking, for even browning.

Once browned, add the harissa, cumin seeds and sliced garlic to the pot, increase to medium heat and cook, stirring, for three to four minutes, until the mix smells fragrant, and garlic softens. Add tomatoes, add seasoning let it bubble. Lower to gentle simmer and simmer slowly about 20 minutes. Sauce will thicken, become richer and darker, with oils separating and surfacing.

With a spoon to create four little pockets across base, break eggs in. Dust with salt with salt, then cover the pan with a lid. Simmer briefly gently, when eggs set and the yolks just warm.

Turn off stove, top with pickled peppers, herbs, yogurt dollop, and oil splash, accompanied by lemon.