Vanilla Recipe

Prepare the vanilla

Split the vanilla bean lengthwise with a sharp knife and scrape out the seeds using the back of the knife. Reserve both seeds and the pod.

Heat milk and cream

In a medium saucepan, combine the whole milk, heavy cream, and half of the granulated sugar (1½ tbs). Add the scraped vanilla seeds and the empty pod. Warm over medium heat until steam appears and small bubbles form around the edge (do not boil), about 6–8 minutes.

Whisk yolks and sugar

While the milk warms, place the egg yolks in a medium bowl and whisk with the remaining granulated sugar until the mixture is pale and slightly thickened, about 1–2 minutes.

Temper the yolks

Slowly ladle about 1/3 of the hot milk mixture into the yolks while whisking continuously to raise their temperature. Then pour the warmed yolks back into the saucepan with the remaining milk mixture, stirring constantly.

Cook the custard

Return the saucepan to medium-low heat and cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon or heatproof spatula, until the custard thickens and coats the back of the spoon (170–175°F / 77–80°C) — about 4–6 minutes. Do not boil, or the eggs may curdle.

Strain and chill

Remove from heat. Strain the custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl to remove the vanilla pod and any coagulated bits. Stir in the fine sea salt. Let cool at room temperature for 10–15 minutes, then cover and chill in the refrigerator until fully cold, at least 2 hours or overnight for best texture.

Churn

Once chilled, remove the vanilla pod (if present) and add the optional vanilla extract if using. Freeze the custard in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions until it reaches a soft-serve consistency, usually 20–30 minutes.

Harden

Transfer the churned ice cream to a lidded container, press a piece of parchment directly on the surface to minimize ice crystals, and freeze for at least 4 hours to firm up.

Before serving, let the ice cream sit at room temperature for 5 minutes to soften slightly. Scoop into bowls or cones, dust with confectioners' sugar if desired, and garnish with fresh mint leaves. For a stronger vanilla aroma, stir in the teaspoon of pure vanilla extract into the chilled custard before churning (added in the previous section is acceptable).