Turmeric Coconut Curry and Spicy Sausage Sauce: Ben Lippett's Oven-Free Egg Dishes Cooking Methods

Let me explain: the most delicious egg dishes are made without baking. Through culinary experiments, realizing that using a cover generates steam that gently cooks the eggs, yielding tender soft-cooked egg with a tender white and a warm, runny yolk. The intense, dry heat of the oven is much more aggressive versus moist heat, and has a tendency to dehydrate ingredients and overcook the yolk. I’ve given you two sauces to get started, but get creative. One is a super-simple golden coconut sauce, while the merguez ragu reimagines traditional spicy eggs, or, to the likes of you and me, spicy tomato eggs.

Golden Coconut Sauce Steamed Eggs (shown above)

Preparation A quick 10 minutes
Cooking time 55 minutes
Serves Two servings

Olive oil
1 onion, skinned and diced
Fine sea salt
2 garlic cloves, crushed and chopped
Fresh ginger root, grated ginger
Turmeric powder
Cumin seeds
Aromatic leaves
200ml coconut milk
Chickpeas
Fresh basil, plus extra to serve
4 eggs
Green chilies, julienned, to serve

Heat a cast-iron pan over medium-high flame. Drizzle olive oil, add the chopped onion seasoned with salt, sauté for several minutes. Add the garlic, ginger, turmeric, cumin seeds and curry leaves, allow to cook, stirring occasionally for a few minutes, then tip in the coconut milk including chickpea can contents. Let it bubble, then turn down to a simmer, let it simmer for 30-35 minutes, until thickened and deep yellow in colour. Adjust seasoning, mix in fresh basil.

Employ a utensil forming small wells across the base, break eggs into each. Dust each egg with a little salt, place a lid on the pan, and cook on a low heat for two to three minutes, until egg whites firm and yolks warmed. Take off the heat, garnish with more basil and thinly sliced finger chillies, ready to enjoy.

Spicy Sausage Sauce with Tangy Peppers Baked Eggs

Preparation Quick prep
Cook 45 minutes
Yields 2

Oil
Merguez sausages
1 tbsp harissa
Toasted cumin
Garlic cloves, minced garlic
Canned tomatoes
Fine sea salt
Four eggs
Tangy peppers, diced
1 small handful fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
3 tbsp thick Greek yoghurt
Fresh lemon, wedge-cut, as garnish

Set a 25cm heavy cast-iron pot over medium flame. Add two tablespoons of olive oil and, once it’s warm, take off sausage casings forming small bits of the meat into the pan, resembling tiny meatballs. Turn down the heat, cook until golden, extracting spicy fats. Move sausage pieces while cooking, for even browning.

Once browned, incorporate harissa, cumin, and garlic to the pot, adjust to moderate flame and cook, stirring, briefly, until the mix smells fragrant, and the garlic has lost its raw edge. Tip in the tomatoes, salt to taste and bring to a simmer. Lower to gentle simmer and simmer slowly for 20 minutes. The ragu will reduce, thicken and deepen in colour, 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 a little salt, then cover the pan with a lid. Simmer briefly on low flame, until whites firm and the yolks just warm.

Turn off stove, finish with chopped pickled peppers, parsley and yogurt, and oil splash, with lemon on side.