Salty Sweet Caramel Bliss

For the Caramel Praline Mix-In:

• ½ cup (99 g) granulated sugar
• ¾ teaspoon (0.75 teaspoon) flaked sea salt, such as fleur de sel

For the Ice Cream:

• 2 cups (460 ml) whole milk, divided
• 1½ cups (298 g) granulated sugar
• ¼ cup (57 g) salted butter
• ½ teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) flaked sea salt
• 1 cup (240 ml) heavy cream
• 5 egg yolks
• ¾ teaspoon (0.75 teaspoon) vanilla extract

• 1. Make the Caramel Praline Mix-In: Prepare a baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. This will prevent the caramel from sticking and make it easy to remove later.
• 2. Place ½ cup of granulated sugar in an even layer in a medium saucepan. Heat over medium heat without stirring until you see the edges of the sugar begin to melt and turn amber. Once melting starts, gently stir with a heatproof spatula from the bottom and edges towards the center. Continue stirring until all the sugar is completely dissolved and has transformed into a beautiful, uniform amber-colored caramel. Continue to cook for another couple of minutes, stirring occasionally, until the caramel starts to smoke lightly and emits a rich, nutty, almost-burnt aroma. This deep color is crucial for intense flavor. Carefully remove the saucepan from the heat.
• 3. Immediately and quickly sprinkle the ¾ teaspoon of flaked sea salt over the hot caramel (do not stir it in). Then, pour the caramel onto your prepared baking sheet. Tilt and swirl the sheet to spread the caramel into an extremely thin, even layer. Set it aside in a cool, dry place to harden completely and cool down. This should take about 15-20 minutes.
• 4. Make the Ice Cream Custard: Prepare an ice bath. Fill a large bowl approximately one-third full with ice cubes and add about a cup of cold water. Nest a smaller metal bowl (at least 2 quarts capacity) over the ice. Pour 1 cup of whole milk into this smaller bowl and rest a fine-mesh strainer on top. This setup will be used to quickly cool your custard later.
• 5. Spread the remaining 1½ cups of granulated sugar in a medium saucepan in an even layer. Cook this sugar over medium heat, using the same careful caramelization method described in Step #2. Watch closely for the edges to melt, then gently stir until fully dissolved and a deep amber color develops.
• 6. Once the sugar has caramelized to your desired rich color, remove the saucepan from the heat. Immediately stir in the ¼ cup of salted butter and ½ teaspoon of flaked sea salt until the butter is completely melted and incorporated. Be cautious as the mixture will bubble vigorously. Gradually and slowly whisk in the 1 cup of heavy cream. If the caramel seizes up or hardens upon adding the cold cream, don’t panic. Simply return the saucepan to low heat and continue stirring gently until the hardened caramel has completely melted back into a smooth mixture. Finally, whisk in the remaining 1 cup of whole milk. You now have your delicious salted caramel base for the custard.
• 7. In a separate small bowl, whisk the 5 egg yolks until smooth. To temper the egg yolks, gradually whisk about ½ cup of the warm caramel mixture into the egg yolks. This slowly brings the temperature of the yolks up, preventing them from scrambling. Once tempered, scrape the warmed yolk mixture back into the saucepan containing the remaining caramel base. Cook the custard over medium heat, continuously stirring and scraping the bottom and sides of the pan with a heatproof spatula. Continue cooking until the mixture thickens enough to coat the back of the spatula and an instant-read thermometer registers between 170 to 175 degrees F (77 to 79 degrees C). Do not boil the custard, as this can cause the eggs to curdle.
• 8. Pour the hot custard immediately through the fine-mesh strainer into the bowl of milk set over the ice bath. This strains out any tiny bits of cooked egg and rapidly cools the custard, preventing further cooking. Stir in the ¾ teaspoon of vanilla extract. Continue to stir the custard occasionally while it rests in the ice bath until it is thoroughly cooled. Once cooled, cover the bowl with plastic wrap, ensuring the plastic touches the surface of the custard to prevent a skin from forming. Transfer the custard to the refrigerator and chill completely, ideally for at least 8 hours, or preferably overnight. Proper chilling is crucial for optimal ice cream texture.
• 9. Once the custard is fully chilled, churn the mixture in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. While the ice cream is churning and starting to firm up, retrieve your hardened caramel praline. Gently crumble or break the praline into small, ½-inch pieces. Add these praline pieces to the ice cream maker during the last minute of churning. This ensures they are evenly distributed but don’t break down too much. Once churning is complete, transfer the freshly made ice cream to a freezer-safe container. Freeze for at least 2 hours to allow it to firm up to a scoopable consistency before serving.