White Chocolate Ice Cream

Instructions

1. In a medium saucepan, combine the heavy cream, whole milk, granulated sugar, fine sea salt, and the scraped seeds along with the split vanilla bean pod.
2. Heat the mixture over medium heat until it reaches just under boiling and the sugar is dissolved, about 8-10 minutes. Remove from heat and let steep for 15 minutes to infuse vanilla flavor.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks until smooth.
4. Slowly pour about 1 cup of the warm cream mixture into the yolks while whisking constantly to temper the eggs.
5. Pour the egg yolk mixture back into the saucepan with the remaining cream mixture.
6. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon or heatproof spatula, until the custard thickens and coats the back of the spoon, reaching 170-175°F (77-79°C). Do not boil.
7. Remove from heat and immediately strain the custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl to remove the vanilla pod and any cooked egg bits.
8. Add the finely chopped white chocolate to the hot custard and stir until completely melted and smooth.
9. Cover the mixture with plastic wrap, pressing it directly onto the surface to prevent a skin from forming.
10. Chill the custard thoroughly in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or overnight.
11. Once chilled, churn the custard in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions, about 30-40 minutes, until it reaches a soft-serve consistency.
12. Transfer the churned ice cream to an airtight container and freeze for at least 45 minutes to firm up before serving.