Active time: 20 min Start to finish: 4 hr

　　

Ingredients

Makes about 1 1/2 quarts

　　2 cups heavy cream

　　1 cup whole milk

　　3/4 cup sugar

　　3 vanilla beans, split lengthwise

　　2 large eggs

　　

Step 1

Combine cream, milk, sugar, and 1/8 teaspoon salt in a heavy saucepan. Scrape seeds from vanilla beans with tip of a knife into cream mixture, then drop in pods. Heat mixture just to a boil.

　　

Step 2

Whisk eggs in a large bowl, then add hot cream mixture in a slow stream, whisking. Pour mixture into saucepan and cook over moderately low heat, stirring constantly, until slightly thickened and an instant-read thermometer registers 170°F (do not let boil).

　　

Step 3

Pour custard through a fine sieve into a clean metal bowl, then cool, stirring occasionally. Chill, covered, until cold, at least 3 hours.

　　

Step 4

Freeze custard in an ice-cream maker. Transfer to an airtight container and put in freezer to harden.

　　Cooks' notes:

　　·To cool custard quickly after straining, set bowl in a larger bowl of ice and cold water and stir until chilled. ·Custard can be chilled up to 24 hours.