Edouard's French Vanilla Bean Ice Cream

medium-high heat and remove from heat 1. In a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine whole milk and cream. (Use hormone-free, rich whole milk and cream, from a smaller farm if possible, such as Alta Dena, Hollandia or Rockview). Whisk in 2/3 cup sugar. (Adding part of the sugar at this point prevents scorching.) Using a small, sharp knife, split the vanilla beans in half, lengthwise, leaving them intact (attached) at one end. Scrape vanilla seeds from pods and add to mixture. Add vanilla bean pods to mixture.

2. Bring just barely to a boil on medium-high heat and remove from heat. Meanwhile, in a large stainless steel bowl, whisk egg yolks and remaining 2/3 cup sugar. (Whisk until light in color, making figure eights with the whisk. Mixture will change color, from a yellow to a yellowish white. "Blanchir," in French.) Whisk until mixture forms a ribbon. (When the whisk is lifted, the batter falls slowly back onto the surface of the mixture, forming a ribbon-like pattern that, after a few seconds, sinks back into the batter.)

3. Remove vanilla bean pods from milk mixture. Whisk about 1 tablespoon of the hot milk mixture into the egg yolk mixture. (This is called tempering. You are gradually heating up the eggs so they won't scramble.) Add another tablespoon of hot milk, whisking constantly. Add another 1 to 2 tablespoons of hot milk, whisking fdf constantly. Mixture should be warm. Pour the egg mixture into the milk mixture, whisking constantly.