Homemade Vanilla Bean Ice Cream

• 300 ml Whole milk
• 300 ml Double cream
• 1 piece Vanilla bean
• 120 g Caster sugar
• 5 Egg yolk
• 1 pinch Fine sea salt

1. Pour the milk and cream into a saucepan. Split the vanilla bean lengthways, scrape out the seeds, then add both seeds and pod to the pan; warm over medium heat until steaming and just starting to bubble at the edges.
2. Meanwhile, whisk the sugar, egg yolks and salt in a mixing bowl until slightly paler and smooth. Set a sieve over a clean bowl ready for straining the custard.
3. Slowly whisk about a third of the hot vanilla milk into the yolk mixture to temper it. Pour the warmed yolks back into the saucepan and cook over low to medium-low heat, stirring constantly with a whisk, for 6 to 10 minutes until the custard thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon.
4. Immediately strain the custard through the sieve into the bowl, pressing gently to extract the vanilla seeds, then discard the pod. Cool for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, then chill until very cold, at least 4 hours.
5. Churn the cold custard in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions, until thick and softly set. Transfer to a freezer-safe container and freeze for 2 hours until scoopable.
6. Let the ice cream stand at room temperature for 5 minutes before scooping for the smoothest texture. Serve straight away.

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