Vanilla Bean Ice Cream

Emily Farris
Emily Farris
February 17, 2022
With instructions like, “cook until it’s thick enough to coat the back of a spoon,” preparing custard for ice cream can be intimidating. I mean, what constitutes “coated,” and HOW coated is it supposed to be, anyway? The Anova Precision Oven takes the guesswork out of this process, thanks to a gentle cook using sous vide mode. Once you’ve perfected this basic recipe, make it your own by adding fresh mint leaves before it goes into the oven, or crumbled Oreos before you churn it. (You will need an ice cream maker for that part.) Note: After further testing, this recipe has been updated to use a single-stage cook with a timer.
Serves
8
Prep Time
04:40
Cook Time
00:20
Vanilla Bean Ice Cream
0
305
Ingredients
¾ cup
granulated sugar
6 large
egg yolks
¼ tsp
kosher salt
2 cups
heavy cream
1 cup
whole milk
1
vanilla bean
Steps

1. Freeze Bowl

Place a thick glass or metal bowl with at least a 4-cup capacity in the freezer for 30 minutes.
Freeze Bowl

2. Preheat the Oven

Rack
Sous Vide Mode: On
Steam: 100%
Temp: 185°F
Heat: Rear

3. Prepare Custard Mixture

In a second large bowl, whisk together the sugar, egg yolks, and salt until smooth. Whisk in the cream and milk.
Prepare Custard Mixture

4. Transfer to Dutch Oven

Carefully pour the mixture into a 2.5-quart Dutch oven or other oven-safe dish. (While you may be tempted to do the previous step in the Dutch oven to reduce dishes, don’t. You don’t want custard coating the sides of the baking dish.)
Transfer to Dutch Oven

5. Add Vanilla

Using kitchen shears or a sharp knife, cut the vanilla bean in half lengthwise and add it to the mixture. (Save the other half in an airtight container for your next batch.) 
Add Vanilla

6. Cook

Rack
Transfer to the oven and cook until the custard registers 165°F (74°C) in the center, about 20 minutes. We recommend using a digital instant read thermometer to check the temperature of the custard; the food probe does not stay stable in the liquid. (The cook time depends on the depth of the custard in the baking dish and the initial temperature of the ingredients.)
Sous Vide Mode: On
Steam: 100%
Temp: 185°F
Heat: Rear
00:20 Timer

7. Stir, Strain, and Chill

Remove from the oven. The custard will have a thin skin on top; this is okay. Stir the custard to incorporate. Immediately pour through a fine-mesh strainer into the chilled bowl. (You can discard the vanilla bean pod or rinse it and save for another use, such as vanilla sugar.) Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or, ideally, overnight.

8. Churn and Serve

Churn the ice cream in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Freeze until ready to serve.
Churn and Serve
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