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1
Put 2 cups cream, half-and-half or milk, the sugar and salt in a saucepan over medium-low heat.
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2
If using a vanilla bean, split in half lengthwise and scrape seeds into liquid, then add pod.
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3
Cook until mixture begins to steam.
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4
In a bowl, blend cornstarch and remaining cream, half-and-half or milk; there should be no lumps.
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5
Remove bean pod from pot and discard.
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6
Add cornstarch mixture to pot.
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7
Cook, stirring, until it starts to thicken and barely reaches a boil, about 5 minutes.
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8
Immediately reduce heat to very low and stir for 5 minutes or so until thick.
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9
Stir in vanilla extract, if using.
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10
If mixture has lumps, strain it into a bowl.
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11
Chill until cool, a couple of hours (you can skip this step if you have a machine with a built-in freezer).
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12
When cool or if there are no lumps, pour into an ice cream machine and freeze according to the manufacturer's instructions.
