Caramel Swirl Ice Cream

Instructions

1. In a medium saucepan, combine the whole milk, heavy cream, half of the granulated sugar (about 6 tbsp/120 g), fine sea salt, and the split vanilla bean with its scraped seeds. Heat over medium, stirring occasionally until the mixture is hot and small bubbles appear around the edges, about 8 minutes. Remove from heat and let the vanilla steep for 15 minutes, then discard the vanilla bean pod.
2. In a heatproof bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and the remaining granulated sugar (about 3 tbsp/30 g) until pale and smooth.
3. Slowly pour about 1 cup (240 ml) of the warm milk mixture into the yolks while whisking constantly to temper the eggs.
4. Pour the tempered yolk mixture back into the saucepan with the remaining milk mixture. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon or spatula, scraping the bottom of the pan, until the custard reaches 170°F to 175°F (77°C to 79°C) and thickens enough to coat the back of the spoon, about 5 to 7 minutes. Do not boil.
5. Strain the custard through a fine mesh sieve into a clean bowl to remove any cooked egg bits. Stir in the light brown sugar and mix until dissolved. Cover the surface with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming and chill the custard in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours or overnight.
6. Once chilled, pour the custard into an ice cream maker and churn according to the manufacturer's instructions until it reaches a soft-serve consistency, about 30 to 40 minutes.
7. Transfer one-third of the churned ice cream to a freezer-safe container. Drizzle one-third of the cooled caramel sauce over the ice cream. Repeat layering and swirling with remaining ice cream and caramel sauce using a knife or skewer to create ribbons. Seal the container and freeze for at least 45 minutes to firm up before serving.