• Preheat oven to 224°F. Place 6 ramekins, (6 ounces each) on a baking sheet, set aside
• Add the whole milk to a saucepan set over medium heat and keep it warm.
• Using a paring knife, split the vanilla bean lengthwise from tip to end. Open it flat and scrape out the seeds from both sides. Stir the seeds into 1 tablespoon of warm water to loosen them, then whisk into the milk.

  Heat the milk just until it’s almost boiling, remove from the heat, and add the scraped bean pod. Let it steep while you stir in the sugar until dissolved. Set aside to cool to lukewarm.
• In a large bowl, whisk the egg yolks until pale. While continuing to whisk gently, slowly pour the cream into the egg mixture. 
• Remove the vanilla bean from the cooled milk-sugar mixture and pour into the egg-cream mixture. Add the salt and combine well. 
• Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer to remove any egg bits and foam. Transfer the mixture to a spouted pitcher and fill each ramekin.
• Transfer the baking sheet with the ramekins to the middle rack of the oven and bake for 55-60 minutes.
• Remove from the oven and place on a wire cooling rack until they come to room temperature. Transfer to the refrigerator for at least 4 hours or overnight.

When Ready To Serve:

• Within 15-20 minutes of serving, set the oven to broil and place a rack to it’s highest level. Take the ramekins from the refrigerator and sprinkle a tablespoon of sugar on each one. Set the ramekins on a baking sheet and place under the broiler for 2 minutes. Remove as soon as the sugar turns liquid and begins to caramelize.
• Alternatively, use a kitchen brulee torch to melt the sugar and get a nice crust.
• Refrigerate for 10-15 minutes to cool and serve within 1 hour.