Preparation:
In small heavy-bottomed saucepan slowly bring half-and-half to boil. Place in refrigerator overnight, or chill in freezer briefly but do not freeze. Cream egg yolks and 5 1/2 tablespoons sugar; set aside. In 2-quart saucepan combine whipping cream, remaining sugar and vanilla bean and slowly bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Remove bean; using point of paring knife, scrape vanilla grains from inside hull. With fingers, rub off any cream or remaining vanilla grains and mix into cream. [At this point, I return the cleaned vanilla pods to the cream.]
Add about 1/3 of the cream mixture to yolks, whisking constantly. Pour this mixture into saucepan, whisking constantly, and bring to just under boiling point. Remove from heat and whisk in butter. Immediately place pan in cold water or over ice to stop cooking. Stir frequently until cool.
Strain through fine strainer or chinoise. [After straining, I return the cleaned vanilla pods to the cream.] Beat in chilled half-and-half and vanilla. [Now I put the completed custard in the refrigerator overnight. When I am ready to freeze the custard, I remove the vanilla pods and clean them with my fingertips to draw out more vanilla from the pods. The pods can be discarded now.] Place in ice cream maker and churn according to manufacturer's directions.
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