Ingredients

2 cups whole milk2 cups half-and-half cream6 Earl Grey tea bags1 vanilla bean1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk 1/4 teaspoon salt4 large eggs, lightly beaten

Preparation

In a small saucepan, heat whole milk and cream to 175°. Remove from the heat; add tea bags. Split vanilla bean lengthwise. Using the tip of a sharp knife, scrape seeds from the center into pan; add bean. Cover and steep 1 hour. Discard tea bags.

Reheat cream mixture just to a boil; stir in sweetened condensed milk and salt until dissolved. Whisk a small amount of the hot mixture into eggs. Return all to the pan, whisking constantly. Cook and stir over low heat until mixture is just thick enough to coat a metal spoon and a thermometer reads at least 160°, stirring constantly. Do not allow to boil. Remove from heat immediately.

Strain through a fine-mesh strainer into a large bowl; place bowl in a pan of ice water. Stir gently and occasionally until cool, about 5 minutes. Press plastic wrap onto surface of custard. Refrigerate several hours or overnight.

Fill cylinder of ice cream maker no more than two-thirds full; freeze according to manufacturer’s directions. (Refrigerate any remaining mixture until ready to freeze.)

Transfer ice cream to freezer containers, allowing headspace for expansion. Freeze until firm, 2-4 hours.