Vanilla Gelato

Use pure vanilla extract.

• Ready In: 1 hr 5 mins
• Yields: 1 quart

Ingredients

• 7  large  egg yolks, at room temperature
• 1⁄2 cup sugar, plus
• 2  tablespoons sugar
• 2 3⁄4 cups  whole milk
• 1⁄4 cup heavy cream
• 2  tablespoons vanilla extract
• 1⁄4 teaspoon salt

Directions

1. Beat the egg yolks and sugar in a bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until thick and pale lemony yellow but still gritty, about 2 minutes; set aside.
2. Heat the milk and cream in a medium saucepan until small bubbles pop up along the pan's inner rim; adjust the heat to keep the mixture very hot but do not boil.
3. Whisk about 1/4 of the hot milk mixture into the egg yolk mixture until smooth, then whisk this combined mixture back into the saucepan with the remaining hot milk mixture.
4. Immediately decrease heat to very low (if you are using an electric stove, move the pan to a second burner just now set on low).
5. Cook slowly, stirring constantly, while the mixture thickens to the consistency of smooth, very wet cake batter and can coat the back of a wooden spoon, about 7 minutes.
6. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl to remove any extraneous bits of cooked egg; stir in the vanilla and salt.
7. Refrigerate until cold, for at least 4 hours or overnight.
8. Just before you make the gelato, place the vanilla custard in the freezer, just to assure it is very cold, for no more than 10 minutes.
9. Freeze the custard in your ice cream machine according to manufacturer's directions.
10. Serve at once (will be soft) or transfer to a large freezer container and store in the freezer, tightly sealed, for up to 1 month; soften at room temperature for up to 10 minutes before serving.