Hot Salsa Baked Eggs with Red Pepper recipe

Let the oven fully come up to temperature before the dish goes in so the eggs start setting straight away rather than sitting in a lukewarm oven and turning watery.

Keep the pepper on a medium heat and stir occasionally until it softens and the edges just begin to lose their raw crunch; if the butter starts browning too quickly, lower the heat to avoid a bitter flavour.

Stir only until the salsa looks glossy and steaming, not bubbling hard, as a fierce heat can split the sauce and make it reduce too far.

Use the back of a spoon to create deep enough hollows that the whites stay separate, and crack each egg into a small cup first so any shell can be removed before it reaches the pan.

Check a minute early if you prefer a runny yolk: the whites should be opaque with no translucent patches, while the yolks will still wobble slightly if they are not fully set.

Serve the eggs at once so the residual heat does not overcook the yolks, and season at the table if needed rather than before baking to keep the salt level balanced.