Ingredients
- 2 cups very cold heavy cream
- 1 cup whole milk
- 10 egg yolks
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 2 tsp. vanilla or 1 vanilla bean, split
- pinch salt
- 10-12 tsp. raw sugar
- equipment needed: culinary torch
Preparation
Step 1
Beat egg yolks, sugar and salt together until thick and light in color. Heat milk with vanilla bean, if using, until very hot. Add to the eggs and sugar in a slow, steady stream. Pour back into pan and cook over medium-low heat until it reaches 170-180 degrees F. (Be really careful not to let it curdle!) Pour through a sieve into a clean bowl. Add the cold cream and vanilla extract, if using.
Chill for at least 3 hours or overnight. Or to speed up the chilling process, use an ice water bath.* Churn in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer directions. Divide the ice cream between 10-12 small freezer-proof bowls or ramekins, leaving a little space at the top. Press a bit of waxed paper on the surface to make it smooth and flat. Transfer to the freezer.
To serve:
Remove ramekins from the freezer about 10 minutes before serving and allow to soften a bit at room temperature.
To caramelize the sugar:
Sprinkle top of each ramekin of ice cream with 1 tsp. raw sugar. Use a torch to caramelize the sugar. Serve.