Ingredients:
700 ml (about 3 cups whole milk) OR 350 ml (1.5 cups) cream and 350 ml (1.5 cups) milk)
125 ml (a full 1/2 cup) sugar
3-4 tablespoons of corn or tapioca starch
pinch of salt
1 vanilla bean split lengthwise
Instructions:
Whisk together 200 ml (about 0.8 cup) of the cold milk with the corn starch, making sure that there are no remaining lumps. Set aside for now.
Blend the remaining 500 ml (about 2.1 cup) of the milk/cream, the sugar, the salt and vanilla bean (with seeds scraped out and added) in a sauce pan. Warm until steaming hot (not boiling!) on medium heat.
Blend the corn starch mixture with the rest of the ingredients in the sauce pan. While barely reaching a boil, cook and stir for about four- five minutes, or until the mixture has begun to thicken and any possible "floury" taste (from the starch) has disappeared [and don't overcook: that would reduce the thickening powers of the starch].
Take the ice cream base from the heat and let the mixture cool down.
Refrigerate for a couple of hours, discard the vanilla bean, and freeze according to the instructions of your ice cream machine.
In case you have no ice cream machine, still-freeze the base in your freezer (see the link below the box!) - this base is perfect for still-freezing, by the way!
After the churning, place the ice cream in a freezer-safe container, cover with plastic film and a lid, and store in the freezer.
