Creme Brulee Crème Brûlée

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F and arrange the ramekins on a large rimmed baking sheet.

2. In a medium saucepan over moderately high heat, combine the heavy cream, 1/2 of the sugar, the vanilla bean seeds and pod, and the salt and bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar.

3. While the cream is heating, combine the egg yolks with the remaining sugar and whisk to combine. Gradually add about 1/3 of the hot cream to the yolks, whisking constantly, then add the remaining hot cream and stir to fully combine. Strain the custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean container. Carefully ladle or pour the custard into the ramekins, filling them to the rim.