Baked savoury egg custard with bacon and cheese in a ramekin

Cook the bacon in a hot pan, then drain it on a plate lined with paper towel, leaving some of the fat on it.

Grate the cheese at a medium grating so the pieces survive a 15 minute cook.

Beat the eggs into an omelette in a bowl, one egg per person.

Mix the cream and the milk into the beaten egg to make the custard base.

Season with a good pinch of salt and black pepper and mix again.

Stir the bacon and the cheese into the custard, about one tablespoon of filling per egg.

Butter the inside of each ramekin.

Divide the custard between the ramekins, filling about three quarters of the way up.

Boil water in a kettle. Set the ramekins in the container first, then pour the boiling water around them three quarters of the way up; never cold water, and never the water before the dishes or it overflows.

Preheat the oven to 200C.

Bake in the bain-marie for 15 minutes.

Pan-fry croutons of bread in the bacon fat to serve alongside.

Lift the ramekins out of the water without splashing any in, and eat with a spoon; extra bacon can be sprinkled over.