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

So, hear me out: the most delicious egg dishes are made without baking. Through culinary experiments, I found that simply adding a lid creates a steamy environment to cook the top of the eggs, delivering a gently cooked soft-cooked egg featuring set whites plus liquid yolk. The intense, dry heat from baking proves harsher versus moist heat, often leading to dry everything out and overcook the yolk. I’ve given you two sauces as a jumping-off point, but get creative. Option one involves a straightforward golden coconut sauce, whereas the spicy sausage sauce puts a twist on classic tomato-baked eggs, or simply put, eggs cooked in zesty tomato base.

Turmeric Coconut Curry Baked Eggs (featured)

Preparation A quick 10 minutes
Cook 55 minutes
Serves Two servings

Extra virgin oil
One medium onion, skinned and diced
Salt
Two garlic cloves, minced garlic
10g fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
1 tbsp ground turmeric
Toasted cumin
Aromatic leaves
Creamy coconut
Chickpeas
A few basil leaves, and additional for topping
4 eggs
2 green finger chillies, julienned, for serving

Use a heavy skillet on a medium-high heat. Add a shot of olive oil, add the chopped onion seasoned with salt, and cook for five to six minutes. Add the garlic, ginger, turmeric, cumin seeds and curry leaves, leave to sizzle, stirring occasionally for three to four minutes, pour in creamy liquid and the chickpeas and their tin liquid. Let it bubble, lower heat to gentle cook, and leave it to tick over about 35 minutes, until thick and golden. Season with salt, incorporate basil.

Use the back of a spoon to create four little pockets in the sauce, then crack an egg into each. Dust each egg with a little salt, place a lid on the pan, gently heat for two to three minutes, until the whites are set and the yolks just warm. Remove from heat, top with fresh herbs plus chili slices, ready to enjoy.

Spicy Sausage Sauce and Pickled Peppers Baked Eggs

Prep 10 min
Cook Under an hour
Serves Two

Olive oil
Spicy lamb sausages
1 tbsp harissa
Toasted cumin
Garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
400g good-quality tinned tomatoes
Fine sea salt
Four eggs
Tangy peppers, diced
Chopped herbs, minced
Greek yogurt
Fresh lemon, cut into wedges, as garnish

Set a 25cm heavy cast-iron pot at moderate temperature. Pour in oil once hot, remove the skins from the sausages and break off pieces of the meat into the pan, almost like little meatballs. Lower temperature, brown the meat slowly, so it renders out all that spicy, flavour-packed fat. Stir merguez while cooking, to brown evenly.

Once browned, mix in spices and garlic to the pot, turn up the heat to medium sauté while stirring, briefly, until aromatic, and garlic softens. Pour in tomato contents, add seasoning and bring to a simmer. Lower to gentle simmer cooking gently for twenty minutes. The ragu will reduce, become richer and darker, as oils separate.

With a spoon making indentations in the sauce, then crack an egg into each. Sprinkle the top of each egg lightly salted, place lid on pan. Heat for minutes over a low heat, when eggs set with yolks runny.

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