Vanilla Bean Creme Brulee

Position the oven rack slightly below the middle of the oven and preheat it to 300 degrees Fahrenheit (150 degrees Celsius).

Combine milk, cream, two-thirds cup sugar, salt, and the scraped-out pulp from a vanilla bean in a saucepan over medium heat until the mixture just reaches boiling point; turn off the heat and let it cool for approximately 10 minutes.

Beat egg yolks in a bowl using gentle strokes; gradually whisk in the hot cream mixture, adding it about 1 tablespoon at a time initially and thoroughly mixing before proceeding to the next amount. As the yolk mixture warms up, increase the amount of cream mixture you whisk in to about 1/4 cup at a time.

Pass the cream through a fine-mesh sieve and pour it into eight 4-ounce ramekins. Discard the spent vanilla bean pod. Arrange the ramekins into a roasting pan and fill it with enough hot water to reach halfway up the sides of the ramekins.

Bake in the preheated oven until the desserts are softly set, taking around 40 to 45 minutes. Remove the roasting pan and let the desserts cool in the water bath to room temperature, which should take several hours. Chill them in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours. The desserts will remain stable for 2 to 3 days in the refrigerator before topping them with sugar.

Sprinkle a small amount of sugar, roughly half a tablespoon, evenly over the top of each dessert. Use a kitchen torch to lightly brown and caramelize the sugar until it melts, taking about 1 minute. Move the torch quickly to avoid burning. Let the caramelized topping cool for approximately 10 minutes, then serve.