2 cups whipping cream
1 cup canned evaporated milk (such as Carnation or Pet) or whole milk
¾ cup sugar
dash of salt
5 egg yolks
1 tablespoon of good vanilla

Mix ¼ cup of the sugar with the egg yolks in a heat proof medium bowl, whisking briskly to mix well. Set aside.

In a medium saucepan, nonstick preferred, over medium heat, combine the cream, milk, salt and ½ cup of sugar. Whisk briskly until sugar is dissolved. Continue whisking as milk heats to prevent scorching. As milk approaches simmering and starts steaming, pour a cup of the hot milk into the egg yolk/sugar mixture, whisking briskly to combine before the hot milk curdles the eggs. As soon as it is combined, pour the egg/hot milk mixture into the pan of hot milk, whisking briskly to mix well.

Continue cooking and stirring constantly over medium heat until mixture almost boils and thickens. It should coat the back of a spoon. Remove from the heat, add the vanilla and mix well. Let cool to room temperature then chill completely in the refrigerator until ready to make your ice cream.

When mixture is completely chilled, pour into your ice cream maker's tub and process according to the directions. Yields about 1 quart of ice cream.

This is the best vanilla ice cream I have ever eaten, homemade or store bought, bar none!

I use a Cuisin*Art ice cream maker that has the tub you freeze until time to make your ice cream. The tub capacity is about a quart and this recipe makes the perfect amount for my machine. I often double the recipe so that I have enough of the ice cream mixture for 2 batches. The custard mixture will keep, covered, in your fridge for several days. I've never made this in a old fashioned ice and rock salt type freezer but I'm sure it would work just as well in one of those.