Caramel ice cream with chocolate peanut shards

Method

1. Put the yolks and vanilla seeds into a large bowl. Whisk for 3-4 minutes, until pale and thickened.
2. Dissolve the sugar and 3 tablespoons water in a pan over a low heat. Increase the heat and cook, without stirring, until it’s a golden caramel. Remove from the heat and add the cream – be careful, it will spit! Add the milk and cook gently, stirring, to re-melt any hardened caramel.
3. Gradually stir the caramel into the eggs, then return to the pan. Cook over a medium-low heat for about 5 minutes, stirring constantly, until it coats the back of the spoon. Tip into a bowl and cover the surface with cling film. Cool, then strain into a 1.3-litre freezerproof container. Cover and freeze until it is solid around the edges. Tip into a food processor and whizz to break up the ice crystals. Return to the container, re-freeze and repeat 2 more times, until smooth and frozen. Alternatively, churn in an ice cream machine following manufacturer’s guidelines.
4. On the day you want to serve the ice cream, melt the chocolate in a bowl over a pan of just-simmering water. Stir, then spread out onto a large board lined with baking paper, to a large square. Sprinkle over the nuts, pressing them in lightly. Sprinkle with the salt and chill until hardened. Cut into long, jagged shards. Serve the ice cream with the chocolate shards.