Use a small knife to split the vanilla beans lengthwise and scrape out tiny black seeds, collecting them in a bowl.
Pour the heavy cream and whole milk into a saucepan, then add the vanilla beans and seeds, bringing just to a simmer over medium heat. You’ll smell a fragrant aroma as the mixture warms, and tiny bubbles will form around the edges.
In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks with sugar and salt until the mixture becomes smooth and slightly pale, about 2 minutes.
Gradually pour a ladle of the hot cream mixture into the egg yolks while whisking constantly to temper the eggs, preventing curdling. This helps the eggs gently heat up.
Pour the tempered egg mixture back into the saucepan with the remaining cream, stirring continuously. Cook over low heat until the custard thickens slightly and coats the back of a spoon, about 5–7 minutes. You’ll notice a rich aroma and a gentle bubbling.
Remove the custard from heat and strain it through a fine mesh strainer into a clean bowl, pressing gently to extract all the vanilla seeds and smooth out any cooked egg bits. Let it cool to room temperature.
Cover the bowl and refrigerate the custard for at least 4 hours or overnight until thoroughly chilled. The mixture will look silky and fragrant, with specks of vanilla visible.
Once chilled, pour the custard into your ice cream maker and churn according to the manufacturer’s instructions. You’ll hear the churn start to rattle and splatter as the mixture thickens into soft, creamy ice cream.
Transfer the soft ice cream to a freezer-safe container, smoothing the top with a spatula. Cover and freeze for at least 4 hours until firm and scoop-ready.
Once frozen, remove the ice cream from the freezer and let it sit at room temperature for 5 minutes to soften slightly. Scoop into bowls and enjoy the rich, fragrant vanilla flavor with specks of vanilla seeds visible throughout.
