Creme anglaise-style vanilla ice cream

Split the vanilla pods and scrape out the seeds with the tip of a sharp knife. Combine the milk, cream, vanilla pods and seeds, heat the mixture and then cool it immediately to infuse overnight.

Remove the vanilla pods and bring the milk mixture to the boil.

Whisk the egg yolks and sugar for about 3 minutes. Pour the milk mixture onto the egg mixture and continue whisking. Pour the mixture back into the saucepan and continue whisking. Let it cook slowly until the custard is thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon.

Remove the mixture from the heat, strain it and cool it immediately in a water bath. Chill it in the fridge, then place the mixture in an ice-cream machine and churn until it is soft and smooth. If you don’t have an ice-cream machine, strain the mixture and place it in the freezer until semifrozen. Place the ice cream in a mixer with a whisk attachment and blend until smooth. Return it to the freezer and freeze until semi-frozen. Continue blending and freezing until there are as few ice crystals as possible.