Pour 1 1/2 cups heavy cream and 1 1/4 cups whole milk into a medium saucepan. Using a sharp knife, carefully split your vanilla bean lengthwise and scrape the tiny black seeds directly into the cream mixture. Don't throw away that empty pod—add it to the pan too. The pod contains additional flavor compounds that will infuse as the mixture heats. This is your first critical moment: place the saucepan over medium-high heat and warm the mixture until steam rises steadily from the surface and you see small bubbles forming around the edges. You want it hot enough that it would be uncomfortable to hold your finger in, but not boiling. This temperature activates the vanilla and pasteurizes the dairy.

While the cream heats, crack your 6 eggs and separate the yolks from the whites (save those whites for an omelet or scrambled eggs tomorrow—don't waste them). Place the yolks in a medium mixing bowl and add 1 cup sugar and 1/8 teaspoon salt. Whisk these together vigorously for about 2-3 minutes. You're looking for the mixture to become pale, slightly fluffy, and noticeably lighter in color. This whisking aerates the yolks and helps them incorporate smoothly once you add the hot cream. If you skip this step or rush it, you risk ending up with scrambled eggs instead of a silky custard.

This is where most people get nervous, but I'm going to walk you through it slowly. Once your cream mixture is steaming hot and your egg mixture is pale and whisked, you need to temper the eggs—meaning you slowly bring them to temperature without scrambling them. Pour the hot cream mixture into the bowl with the egg yolks in a very thin, steady stream while whisking constantly. This is not the time to hurry. Take 30-45 seconds to pour in about half the cream while whisking. This allows the eggs to gradually warm up. Once you've added half the cream and the mixture is well combined, add the remaining cream in a steady stream while continuing to whisk. I learned this technique years ago, and it's transformed how I approach custard-based desserts. The key is patience and motion—never stop whisking, and never pour too fast.

Pour your entire tempered mixture back into the saucepan and place it over medium-low heat. You'll need to stir constantly and patiently for about 8-12 minutes until the custard thickens enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon. Here's how to test: dip a spoon in the custard, run your finger across the back of the spoon, and if it leaves a clear trail that doesn't immediately disappear, you're done. This is the second critical moment: do not allow the mixture to boil. If you see large bubbles breaking the surface or the temperature rises too high, you'll scramble the eggs. Medium-low heat is your friend here. Stir in circular motions, scraping the bottom and sides of the pan. This takes longer than you might expect, but that's okay. The wait creates a perfectly silky result.

Remove your saucepan from heat. Set a fine-mesh strainer over a clean bowl and carefully pour the custard through it. This strains out any bits of cooked egg white or vanilla bean pod pieces, ensuring a perfectly smooth texture. Discard what's in the strainer. Add 1/3 cup bourbon to your strained custard and stir to combine. The alcohol will give you a subtle warmth and deepen the vanilla's complexity. Don't worry—most of the alcohol content will evaporate during freezing, but enough will remain to prevent the ice cream from freezing rock-solid, which actually makes it easier to scoop.

Cover your bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4-5 hours, preferably overnight. This resting time is not negotiable. The custard needs to chill completely, and the flavors need time to deepen and meld. Trying to freeze warm or room-temperature custard will result in icy texture and poor results from your ice cream machine. I usually make this custard in the evening and let it sit in the fridge overnight. Then I churn it the next day. It fits perfectly into a real family schedule.

Follow your ice cream machine's instructions for freezing. Most machines take 20-30 minutes to churn your custard into soft-serve consistency. Remove the ice cream from the machine and immediately transfer it to a freezer-safe container. Smooth the top with a spatula, then press plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the ice cream before covering the container. This plastic-wrap-directly-on-surface trick prevents ice crystals from forming on top. Because this recipe contains alcohol, it will take slightly longer to freeze solid than traditional ice cream—usually 4-6 hours in your freezer. That's perfectly normal and actually a sign you've made it correctly.