Classic Italian Gelato (Gelato alla Crema)

Ingredients

• 2 1/4 cups whole milk
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 5 egg yolks
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• Pinch of salt

Before you cook

• Set a fine strainer over a large bowl and place that bowl inside a larger bowl of ice water.
• Separate the eggs, keeping only the yolks.
• Whisk the egg yolks with half the sugar in a heatproof bowl until pale and thick.

Steps

1. Combine the milk, cream and remaining sugar in a saucepan and warm over medium heat until steaming, without boiling.
2. Pour a ladleful of the hot milk into the egg yolk mixture, whisking constantly to temper it.
3. Whisk in the rest of the hot milk in a slow stream.
4. Return the mixture to the saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring constantly with a spatula, until it thickens enough to coat the back of the spatula.
5. Remove the pan from the heat as soon as it thickens, before it comes close to boiling.
6. Pour the custard through the strainer into the bowl set over ice water.
7. Stir in the vanilla and salt.
8. Stir occasionally until the custard is fully cooled.
9. Cover and refrigerate the custard for at least 4 hours, or overnight.
10. Churn the chilled custard in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions, using a slower setting if available.
11. Transfer the churned gelato to a container and freeze for at least 2 hours to firm up.
12. Let the gelato sit at room temperature for 5 minutes before scooping.