How to Use a Vanilla Bean

Start with a thin, sharp knife. Cut the pod lengthwise from one end to the other. Inside is a black, grainy pulp — the vanillins — and that is the part of the bean your recipe is really asking for.

Scrape the seeds out with the flat of the knife and add them to what you're making: pastry cream, custard, batter, ice cream base. The empty pod is far from spent. Drop it back into the warm liquid — it holds a reserve of aroma that a plain pod can't.

Steeping matters more than people think. Ten to fifteen minutes in warm milk or cream does more than boiling does, because the compounds release slowly and evenly rather than all at once.

The pod doesn't have to end in a single recipe. After steeping, dry it and keep it: it makes a good second infusion in a syrup, a caramel, or a pot of sugar that will smell like vanilla for months.

As for quantity, one pod against 500ml of liquid is the classic ratio. If a recipe asks for two, use two — but taste first. Good vanilla, like good salt, can always be pulled back, not added to.