1: Cut 4 slices bread fairly thick. This is a good way to use up bread that has started to go dry. Split each slice horizontally, but without cutting all the way through, to form a "pocket". Set aside.
3: Mix the chopped herbs with 4 tablespoons breadcrumbs, salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate until needed.
4: In a frying pan, fry 4 slices ham lightly on both sides.
5: Fill each slice of bread with a slice of ham and slices of cheese (Comté shown here).
6: In a bowl beat 4 eggs briefly with 50 g liquid cream, salt and pepper.
7: Pour the beaten eggs into a shallow dish and put the egg and breadcrumb mixture in another.
8: Dip both sides of the sandwiches first in the beaten egg...
9: ...then in the breadcrumb coating. Prepare all the sandwiches like this.
10: Pour 50 g butter and 4 tablespoons oil into a large frying pan on medium heat. When hot, lay the sandwiches in the pan and cook until golden brown on the first side.
11: You can turn the heat down at this stage and cover the pan with a sheet of aluminium foil for 2 or 3 minutes to help melt the cheese, but this is not essential if you are using a soft-paste cheese (see below for more about this).
12: When the underneath is nicely browned, turn the sandwiches over and cook the other side.
13: Serve piping hot.
Remarks
For the cheese, use whatever you prefer, but do note that if you use a hard-paste cheese (Comté, Emmental, etc.) the texture will be less "melting" than with a soft-paste cheese (Saint-Nectaire, Mont d'Or, etc.) - something children usually love.