This is actually Marya's recipe. The real flavor of vanilla bean. Vanilla ice cream doesn't get much better than this.

Recipe

Bring to a simmer, cover and remove from heat:

• 6 inches of vanilla bean
• 1c whole milk

Whisk together:

• 6 egg yolks
• 2/3c sugar

When milk is cold enough to touch, remove vanilla bean, cut open and add seeds back to the milk (save the bean!). Stir egg mixture into milk, return to heat and cook, stirring until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.

Remove from heat, then add:

• The saved vanilla bean
• 1 1/2c cream
• 1/2t vanilla extract
• pinch of salt

Refrigerate overnight, then remove the vanilla bean, then do the ice cream machine thing