Oeuf Cocotte (Egg Casserole)

It's been a busy week- getting back into the school routine (waking up early- ugh!), getting the girls to dance class, and resuming french lessons. Since it's the end of the week, I wanted to make a dinner that was uncomplicated and delicious. Simply put, oeuf cocotte, which is french for egg casserole. It is a rustic kind of dish made with a couple of eggs cooked in a ramekin with a few other delicious and equally simple ingredients. Pair it with a glass of white wine, a few slices of toasted french bread and that's it. So without any further complications, here's the recipe:

Oeuf Cocotte (Egg Casserole- 2 servings)
1 1/2 tsp. fresh basil, chopped
1/2 tsp each fresh thyme and flat leaf parsley, chopped
1-2 cloves of garlic, finely minced
2 T. half and half
1 T. freshly grated parmigiano reggiano
2 small pats of butter
4-6 eggs depending on your appetite (I usually eat 2, Chris eats 3)
salt and pepper to taste

Put a pat of butter, the minced garlic and 1 T. of the half and half into each oven proof ramekin. Broil on high for 2 minutes or until the butter has melted and the half and half is bubbly and starting to brown. Remove from the oven and lower temperature to low broil. Crack 2-3 eggs into each hot ramekin and return to oven. Broil on low for an additional 10-12 minutes or until the eggs are baked, but still slightly runny. In the meantime, chop your herbs and mix together in a small bowl. Once your eggs are cooked, remove from the oven and sprinkle tops with salt, pepper, parmigiano cheese and mixed herbs. Serve immediately with crusty bread for dipping.