Creamed Corn Ice Cream

Shuck and silk corn; using a sharp knife, slice the tops off the corn kernels into a saucepan. Use the back of the knife blade to scrape the corn pulp off the cobs and into the pan. Add cream and milk to corn; split vanilla bean lengthwise, scrape into cream, and add bean to pan. Cut or break corn cobs into pieces and add to cream, place over medium heat and cook, watching carefully, until mixture just bubbles around the edges. Do not boil. Adjust heat so that mixture barely steams and cook for 15 minutes. Remove corn cobs, scraping milk from cobs back into mixture; discard cobs and vanilla bean. Strain cream into a 4-cup measure, pressing to extract as much cream as possible. Discard solids and add more milk or cream, if necessary, to make 3 cups. Return to heat until bubbles just begin to show around the edges.

Meanwhile, beat egg yolks and sugar until thick and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes, adding vanilla extract at the end. While whisking, very slowly drizzle about 1½ cups of the hot milk mixture into the egg yolks to temper them; add tempered egg mixture to remaining cream. Cook, stirring gently, until mixture coats the back of the spoon; the custard should be about 170ºF. Add salt to taste; just a pinch blooms flavor.

Refrigerate until well chilled, at least 8 hours and up to 2 days, then freeze to soft serve consistency as your ice cream freezer directs. Transfer ice cream into chilled container, cover tightly, and freeze until firm, about 4 hours. Scoop, garnish with Salted Caramel, and enjoy. Ice cream will keep, frozen, for several days. As if.

Salted Caramel

Special equipment: 3-quart stainless steel saucepan, candy thermometer, clean, heat-proof container that will hold at least 1½ cups of finished hot caramel sauce

Place a heavy 12-inch wide, deep saucepan or cast-iron skillet over low heat for 5 minutes to ensure even heat distribution. Add sugar and water and increase heat to medium-high. Heat, stirring gently (try not to let sugar crystals adhere to side of pan above water level), until sugar is completely dissolved; remove whisk. Use a damp napkin or pastry brush to remove any grains of sugar from the sides of the pot to minimize the risk of crystallization. Cook mixture without stirring until amber in color, 10 to 12 minutes. It is important not to stir the mixture once the sugar has melted.

While the sugar cooks, put cream in a small saucepan, split vanilla bean and scrape into cream, add bean to cream, and steam over low heat, do not bring to a boil. Remove vanilla bean. Standing back from pan, slowly whisk cream into caramel (it will spatter and foam), reduce heat, and cook, whisking, until smooth, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in salt, and carefully transfer to a heatproof container. Always pour away from you and take extreme caution to not splash sauce onto skin; it is molten lava and will cause severe burns.