Custard pâtissière

Ingredients:

• 2 cups whole milk
• 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
• Half a vanilla bean, cut in half lengthwise and scrape out the seeds
• 0.5 cups of sugar
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 4 large egg yolks
• 2 tbsp butter, cut into small pieces

Preparation:

1. Combine milk, salt, vanilla bean and seeds, and 1/4 cup sugar in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat and cook until the sugar dissolves, 1-2 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together the cornstarch, egg yolks, and the remaining 1/4 cup sugar until smooth. Whisking constantly, slowly pour in about 1/2 cup of the warm milk mixture. Continue whisking until smooth. This is called tempering, and it prevents the yolk from curdling. Continue whisking and adding the warm milk mixture, 1/2 cup at a time, until fully combined and smooth.
3. Return the custard to the saucepan and reduce the heat to medium. Cook, whisking constantly, until the custard thickens to the consistency of pudding, 2-4 minutes. Remove from the heat, then whisk in the butter until smooth and glossy. Remove the vanilla bean.
4. Strain the cream through a fine-mesh sieve into a medium bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, placing it directly on the surface of the cream, and refrigerate until completely chilled, at least 2 hours or overnight. Before using, beat the cream until smooth and fluffy.