Vanilla Bean Ice Cream
Makes 1 quart
From The Perfect Scoop
1 cup whole milk
3/4 cup sugar
2 cups heavy cream
pinch of salt
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
6 egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Warm the milk, sugar, 1 cup cream, and salt in a medium saucepan. Scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean into the milk, and add the whole bean as well. Cover, remove from heat and steep for about 30 minutes.
In another bowl, whisk together the egg yolks. Slowly add the warm milk to the eggs, whisking constantly. Then pour the mixture back to the saucepan and heat over a medium flame, stirring constantly, until the mixture has thickened and coats the back of a spoon. Pour the remaining cup of cream into a large bowl and set a strainer on top. Pour the custard through the strainer and stir to mix in the cream. Add the vanilla bean and chill over an ice bath (a bowl filled with ice and a little water). Refrigerate the custard until completely cool, then remove the bean, and freeze in your ice cream machine.