Caramel Custard Ice Cream
- 1¼ cups plus 2 tablespoons sugar
- 2 cups heavy cream, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 7 large egg yolks
- 1¼ cups chilled whole milk
Place a fine mesh sieve over a medium bowl set in a large bowl filled a third of the way with ice water; set aside. Sprinkle a thin even layer of sugar into a large heavy saucepan. Cook undisturbed over medium heat until mostly melted, about 4 minutes. Sprinkle another layer of sugar over and cook, stirring around the edges of the saucepan with a heatproof spatula to move the melted sugar to the centre, until mostly melted, another minute or so. Repeat until you have used 1¼ cups sugar and it is mostly melted (there may be some undissolved clumps), 6 to 8 minutes. Continue cooking, swirling the saucepan (do not stir), until the caramel is very fluid and has turned dark amber, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and, adding gradually, stir in the heavy cream. The caramel will seize, but do not worry. Place the saucepan over low heat and stir until any hardened caramel is dissolved. Stir in the vanilla and salt; set aside.
Whisk the egg yolks and the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar in a medium bowl until lightened in colour and thick, about 1 minute. Whisking constantly, gradually add about ½ cup of the hot caramel mixture to the egg yolk mixture. Whisk the mixture back into the saucepan, then cook over medium low heat, whisking constantly, until the custard is thick enough to coat a spoon and just holds the marks of the whisk, about 5 minutes. Immediately pour through the prepared sieve into the bowl. Stir constantly until cold, about 5 minutes, then whisk in the milk.
Process the custard in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s directions. Scrape into a loaf pan or airtight container and press plastic wrap directly onto the surface. Freeze until firm, at least 4 hours.
(Bon Appétit)