Salted Caramel Ice Cream

Preparation

Step 1: Make the salted butter caramel

Pour the granulated sugar into a heavy-bottomed saucepan and melt it dry over medium heat, without stirring, until you get an amber caramel. Watch the colour closely: caramel goes from golden to burnt very quickly.

Off the heat, add the diced salted butter and stir until fully incorporated. Then pour in the warm heavy cream in a thin stream, in several additions, to avoid splattering — the mixture will bubble up violently, which is normal. Stir until you have a smooth, glossy caramel and let it cool slightly.

Step 2: Make the custard base

Split the vanilla bean and scrape out the seeds. In a saucepan, heat the milk with the pod and seeds until it just simmers, then remove from the heat and let infuse for 10 minutes.

In a mixing bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the remaining sugar until pale. Pour in the hot milk in a thin stream while whisking, then return everything to the saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until the custard coats the back of a spoon (about 83 °C).

Step 3: Combine the base

Fold the warm caramel into the custard, whisking gently until perfectly smooth. Taste and adjust the amount of sea salt to your liking.

Strain the base through a fine-mesh sieve to remove the vanilla pod and get a silky texture. Cover with plastic wrap directly on the surface.

Step 4: Chill the base

Let the mixture cool to room temperature, then refrigerate for at least 3 hours, ideally overnight. A well-chilled base is essential for successful churning.

Caramel is naturally dense, so make sure the base is thoroughly cold before pouring it into the ice cream maker: the ice cream will be creamier and set faster.

Step 5: Churn and freeze

Pour the cold base into the ice cream maker and churn for 25 to 30 minutes, until you get a soft, creamy ice cream texture. Add the pinch of sea salt at the very end of churning.

Transfer the ice cream to an airtight container and freeze for at least 2 hours before serving. Serve in scoops with a drizzle of caramel sauce or a few toasted hazelnut pieces for extra indulgence.