Raspberry Swirl Ice Cream

Ice cream:
1 cup (240ml) whole milk
2/3 cup (133g) caster sugar
pinch of salt
1 ½ cups (360ml) heavy cream
1 vanilla bean, halved lengthwise
5 large egg yolks
½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Raspberry swirl:
1 ½ cups (160g) raspberries, fresh or frozen (I used frozen)
4 tablespoons (48g) caster sugar
1 tablespoon vodka (I used white rum)

To make the ice cream, combine milk, sugar, salt and 1 cup (240ml) cream in a medium saucepan. With the back of a knife, scrape seeds from vanilla bean into mixture, then add pod. Bring mixture just to a boil, whisking until sugar has dissolved, then remove from heat. Cover and let stand 30 minutes.
Reheat cream mixture over medium heat, stirring, until hot. Whisk yolks in a medium bowl, then add half of hot cream mixture in a slow stream, whisking constantly, then pour yolk mixture into remaining cream mixture in saucepan, whisking. Cook custard over medium-low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until custard is thick enough to coat back of spoon and registers 76 to 79ºC/170 to 175ºF on an instant-read thermometer (do not let boil).

Strain custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a metal bowl. Stir in vanilla and remaining ½ cup (120ml) cream, then return vanilla pod to mixture. Chill, uncovered, until cool, then chill, covered, at least 6 hours. 

Ah hour or so before churning the ice cream, make the raspberry swirl by mashing the raspberries together with the sugar and vodka with a fork (if using frozen raspberries, let them thaw a bit first) until they’re juicy but with nice-sized chunks remaining. Chill until ready to use.

Remove the vanilla bean and freeze the custard in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. As you remove it from the machine, layer it in the container with spoonfuls of the chilled raspberry mixture.

Makes about 1 ½ liters (1 ½ quarts)