Chocolate Ice Cream

This is the best chocolate ice cream I have ever eaten in my entire life... and that's not hyperbole. It's so smooth, so creamy, so chocolatey -- you'll feel like you've gone to chocolate heaven. The recipe is from "The New Best Recipe" cookbook.

8 oz high-quality bittersweet chocolate

1 1/2 cups whole milk

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

3/4 cup sugar

4 large egg yolks

1 tsp. vanilla

1. Chop chocolate into small pieces and melt in microwave at 50% power. Set aside to cool.
2. Position a strainer over a medium bowl set in a larger bowl containing ice water.
3. Heat the milk, cream and 1/2 cup of sugar over medium heat, stirring occasionally to dissolve the sugar, until steam appears and the milk is warm, about 5 minutes.
4. While the milk is heating, beat the yolks and remaining 1/4 cup of sugar until pale yellow. Add the melted chocolate and beat until fully incorporated.
5. Whisk half the warm milk mixture into the beaten yolks, 1/2 cup at a time, until combined.
6. Whisk the milk-yolk mixture into the warm milk in the sauce pan. Set the pan over medium heat and cook, stirring constantly until steam appears and the mixture is slightly thickened. Do not boil, or the eggs will curdle.
7. Immediately strain the custard into the bowl set in the ice bath. Cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally. Stir in the vanilla, cover and refrigerate until it's cooled to 40 degrees or lower -- at least 3 hours or up to 24 hours.
8. Pour custard into the ice cream machine and churn for up to 1/2 an hour. (Longer and you risk getting flecks of butter in your ice cream.) It should resemble soft-serve ice cream. Transfer to airtight container and freeze until firm, around 2 hours.