Turmeric Coconut Curry and Merguez Ragu: Ben Lippett's Baked Eggs Recipes

Consider this: the most delicious egg dishes never require an oven. During recipe development, I found that simply adding a lid creates a steamy environment for cooking the egg tops, yielding tender perfectly poached egg with firm whites and flowing center. The intense, dry heat in conventional ovens proves harsher versus moist heat, often leading to dry everything out and harden the yolk. Here are two sauce options to get started, encouraging customization. One is a super-simple golden coconut sauce, while the merguez ragu puts a twist on traditional spicy eggs, essentially, eggs cooked in zesty tomato base.

Turmeric Coconut Curry Baked Eggs (shown above)

Preparation A quick 10 minutes
Cooking time 55 minutes
Yields 2

Olive oil
1 onion, trimmed and minced
Salt
Two garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
Fresh ginger root, grated ginger
Turmeric powder
Cumin seeds
6-8 curry leaves
200ml coconut milk
Chickpeas
Fresh basil, with more for garnish
4 eggs
Fresh chilies, thinly cut, as garnish

Set a 25cm heavy cast-iron pot at moderate-high temperature. Add a shot of olive oil, incorporate onions and a pinch of salt, fry until softened. Incorporate aromatics and spices, allow to cook, stirring occasionally for three to four minutes, then tip in the coconut milk and the chickpeas and their tin liquid. Let it bubble, reduce to a simmer, allow to cook slowly for 30-35 minutes, until thick and golden. Adjust seasoning, then stir in the basil leaves.

With a spoon’s back to create four little pockets across the base, break eggs into each. Dust 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, finish with a few extra basil leaves and thinly sliced finger chillies, ready to enjoy.

Merguez Ragu and Pickled Peppers Steamed Eggs

Prep 10 minutes
Cooking time Under an hour
Serves Two

Olive oil
2 merguez-style lamb sausages
1 tbsp harissa
Toasted cumin
2 garlic cloves, minced garlic
Canned tomatoes
Seasoning
4 eggs
Pickled peppers, roughly chopped
Fresh parsley, minced
Creamy yogurt
1 lemon, wedge-cut, as garnish

Use a heavy pan at moderate temperature. Drizzle olive oil and, once it’s warm, remove the skins from the sausages and break off pieces of the meat into the pan, almost like little meatballs. Reduce heat, brown the meat slowly, so it renders out all that spicy, flavour-packed fat. Roll the merguez pieces around the pan during cooking, to brown evenly.

After browning, incorporate harissa, cumin, and garlic into the skillet, turn up the heat to medium and cook, stirring, for three to four minutes, until the mix smells fragrant, and the garlic has lost its raw edge. Tip in the tomatoes, salt to taste let it bubble. Turn down the heat to low cooking gently about 20 minutes. Sauce will thicken, become richer and darker, while the oils split and rise to the top.

Employ utensil forming wells across base, then crack an egg into each. Dust with salt with salt, then cover the pan with a lid. Simmer briefly gently, until the whites are set and yolks warmed.

Remove from heat, garnish with peppers, herbs, yogurt dollop, and a drizzle of oil, and serve with lemon wedges.