Preheat oven to 190 degrees Celsius (375 degrees Fahrenheit). Boil a kettle of hot water.
Place 1 tablespoon of cream in a ramekin. Add in the ham and fresh herbs. Crack in the egg, add in the remaining 1/2 tablespoon of cream and dot the butter on top.
Place the ramekin in a deep oven-proof dish. Pour the hot water into the oven-proof dish until the water comes up halfway of the ramekin. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes if your egg is at room temperature, 10 to 12 minutes if your egg is cold (from the refrigerator), until the egg is set but still wobble slightly.
While the egg is baking, toast your bread.
Remove the oven-proof dish from the oven and set on a wire rack. Season the egg with salt and black pepper. Let cool for about 3 to 5 minutes so that it is easier to remove the ramekin. Remove the ramekin from the oven-proof dish and serve your egg immediately with the toasted bread.
NOTES
- My egg was straight out from the refridgerator, so I baked for 12 minutes, set the ramekin in the dish for 5 minutes before serving. The egg yolk is oozy with some bits of yolk a bit more set, which is just how I like it. If you want your yolk to be completely oozy, bake for a shorter time. - Adapted from Mastering the Art of French Cooking (Volume 1)