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You will find endless uses for this vanilla bean-flecked custard sauce – traditionally part of floating island, a fantastic (and little seen) French dessert, but also great over fruit or with pancakes.
The trickiest step here is tempering the egg, which is to slowly combine cold or room temperature eggs with a hot liquid. Doing this correctly will prevent the egg from curdling and leaving curdled bits in its wake. Recipe adapted from Bon Appétit and Serious Eats.
Ingredients:
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1 vanilla bean
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2 cups whole milk or half-and-half
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½ cup sugar
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4 large egg yolks, at room temperature
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Place the vanilla bean on a cutting board. With a paring knife, make a cut lengthwise through the bean, splitting in two.
In a large saucepan, add the milk and the bean halves. Over low heat, cook the mixture, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon until tiny bubbles form on the surface (4-5 minutes). Remove from heat, cover with a lid and set aside, letting the mixture steep for 20 minutes.
In a medium bowl, combine the yolks and sugar with a whisk and stir until the sugar is dissolved and the egg mixture is pale yellow in color. Slowly pour about ⅓ of the steeped milk into the mixture, whisking constantly. Return the saucepan to the stovetop.
Pour the tempered mixture into the pan and cook over low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon until it starts to thicken (about 5 minutes). Remove from heat. Return the hot mixture to the bowl. Let cool. Cover and store in the fridge for up to 4 days.
