In a clean medium saucepan, add 1 cup of sugar. Stir in a pinch of cream of tartar or white vinegar and add just enough water so that the sugar has the texture of wet sand. Cook over medium heat. To prevent burn marks, use a wet brush to clean off the sides of the pan until the mixture begins to boil. Once it boils, reduce heat to medium-low. Do not stir and cook until sugar mixture turns a dark amber color.
Add cream to sugar mixture (it will splatter, rise and release steam, but will eventually smooth out) and stir continuously until all of caramel has dissolved. Stir in milk and continue cooking on medium-low heat until mixture begins to simmer.
Meanwhile, whisk eggs with remaining 1/4 cup sugar in a medium bowl. Add half of the hot caramel to the egg mixture in a slow stream, whisking continuously. Pour back into saucepan and cook over medium heat while stirring continuously with a wooden spoon. Once custard coats back of spoon and registers 170 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer (do not let boil), remove from heat. Pour custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a large bowl, and then stir in salt and vanilla.
Chill ice cream in refrigerator, stirring occasionally, until very cold, 3 to 6 hours. Freeze ice cream in ice cream maker according to manufacturer’s instructions and then transfer to an airtight container and place in freezer to firm, about 12-24 hours.
For best results, chill caramel mixture overnight before churning in the ice cream maker.
In a clean medium saucepan, add 200 g of sugar. Stir in a pinch of cream of tartar or white vinegar and add just enough water so that the sugar has the texture of wet sand. Cook over medium heat. To prevent burn marks, use a wet brush to clean off the sides of the pan until the mixture begins to boil. Once it boils, reduce heat to medium-low. Do not stir and cook until sugar mixture turns a dark amber color.
Add cream to sugar mixture (it will splatter, rise and release steam, but will eventually smooth out) and stir continuously until all of caramel has dissolved. Stir in milk and continue cooking on medium-low heat until mixture begins to simmer.
Meanwhile, whisk eggs with remaining 50 g sugar in a medium bowl. Add half of the hot caramel to the egg mixture in a slow stream, whisking continuously. Pour back into saucepan and cook over medium heat while stirring continuously with a wooden spoon. Once custard coats back of spoon and registers 75 degrees C on an instant-read thermometer (do not let boil), remove from heat. Pour custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a large bowl, and then stir in salt and vanilla.
Chill ice cream in refrigerator, stirring occasionally, until very cold, 3 to 6 hours. Freeze ice cream in ice cream maker according to manufacturer’s instructions and then transfer to an airtight container and place in freezer to firm, about 12-24 hours.
For best results, chill caramel mixture overnight before churning in the ice cream maker.
Mexican Pure Vanilla Extract
