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1 hour ahead of time: Infuse the cream:
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Slice open the vanilla bean and scrape out all the tiny seeds.
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Set the seeds aside on a small plate.
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In a saucepan, combine the cream, vanilla pod, and lemon verbena and cook over medium-high heat.
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When the cream is almost at a boil, remove from the heat, cover, and let the cream infuse for 20 minutes.
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Pass the hot cream through a strainer and into a bowl.
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Discard the solids.
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Transfer to the refrigerator and chill until the cream is cold enough to whip, at least 1 hour.
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Whip and cook the yolks:
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Place the egg yolks and 2 tablespoons sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer and whisk at medium speed.
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In a small saucepan, combine the remaining sugar, 3 tablespoons water, and the reserved vanilla bean seeds.
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Cook the syrup over medium-high heat until it reaches 248F.
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With the mixer set on medium-high speed, quickly pour the hot syrup into the egg yolks in a continuous stream.
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Add the salt.
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Whisk the yolks until they become pale, have tripled in volume, and are just slightly warm.
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Whip the infused cream:
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Chill a stain less-steel mixing bowl in the refrigerator.
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Pour the cold infused cream into the bowl and whisk the cream until soft peaks form.
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Finish the parfait:
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Scrape the whipped cream into the yolks.
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Place a spatula in the center of the bowl, scrape the bottom, and bring the bottom over the top.
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Rotate the bowl 45 degrees and continue folding until the mixture is well combined.
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Pour into the parfait dishes and freeze for at least 4 hours.
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Serving Suggestions:
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This parfait can be served with any fruit in season.
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Gently toss the berries with a bit of sugar and let them macerate 10 minutes before serving.
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For a crunchy accompaniment, sprinkle some nut brittle over the parfait or serve a crispy wafer on the side.
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Variations:
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This parfait can be flavored with any herb or spice.
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Just steep the herb or spice of choice in the hot cream.
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Fig Leaf Parfait: Replace the lemon verbena with 2 chopped fig tree leaves.
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Black Mint Parfait: Replace the lemon verbena with 1 1/2 ounces black mint leaves
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Black Walnut or Hazelnut Parfait: Replace the lemon verbena with 4 ounces ( 3/4 cup) ground black walnuts or blanched hazelnuts.
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Do not strain and remove the nuts.
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Allow them to stay in the cream while you whip it.
