Hazelnut Ice Cream

Instructions

1. Toast the hazelnuts in a 350°F (175°C) oven for 10 minutes until fragrant, then rub them in a clean kitchen towel to remove skins. Finely grind the toasted hazelnuts in a food processor or spice grinder and set aside.
2. In a medium saucepan, combine the milk, heavy cream, half the sugar (about 3/8 cup or 75 g), and the scraped seeds and pod of the vanilla bean. Heat over medium heat until just simmering, then remove from heat and let steep for 15 minutes to infuse the vanilla flavor.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the remaining sugar and fine sea salt until pale and slightly thickened.
4. Slowly pour the warm milk and cream mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into the yolk mixture, whisking constantly to temper the eggs and avoid curdling.
5. Return the combined mixture to the saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring constantly with a heatproof spatula or whisk, until the custard thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon and reaches 170°F to 175°F (77°C to 79°C). Do not boil.
6. Remove from heat, strain the custard through a fine sieve into a clean bowl to remove any cooked egg bits and vanilla pod. Stir in the finely ground hazelnuts.
7. Cool the mixture to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or until thoroughly chilled.
8. Churn the mixture in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions, typically about 30 to 40 minutes, until it reaches a soft-serve consistency.
9. Transfer the churned ice cream to an airtight container and freeze for at least 1 hour to firm up before serving.