Creamy Vanilla Ice Cream with Browned Butter and Salted Caramel (no ice cream maker)

Start by preparing your workspace. Place a large metal or glass bowl and the whisk attachments of your mixer in the refrigerator. Chilled bowls and tools will help the cream whip faster and be more stable. Also, prepare a long metal or glass container for freezing the ice cream (e.g., a loaf pan with a capacity of about 1.5 liters).

In a small saucepan with a light bottom, place 80g of diced butter. Heat over medium power, allowing it to melt. When the butter starts to foam and 'pop', begin stirring it with a spatula. Continue heating for 3-5 minutes. Pay attention to the change in aroma to a strong nutty scent and the appearance of brown bits at the bottom. As soon as you notice this, immediately remove the saucepan from the heat and pour the butter along with the bits into a bowl to stop the cooking process. Set aside to cool completely.

In a clean, dry saucepan with a thick bottom, place 150g of sugar. Spread it in an even layer. Heat over medium power, without stirring, until the sugar at the edges begins to melt and takes on an amber color. Then you can gently swirl the saucepan to allow the liquid caramel to cover the rest of the sugar. Cook until all the sugar has dissolved and reaches a dark amber color.

Reduce the burner to the lowest setting. Carefully add 60g of diced butter. The mixture will start to bubble and splatter vigorously - exercise caution. Whisk vigorously until the butter is completely combined with the caramel.

Remove the saucepan from the heat. Slowly, in a thin stream, pour in 120ml of heavy cream (at room temperature), while continuously whisking vigorously. The mixture will start to boil vigorously again. Stir until the sauce becomes smooth and uniform. Finally, add sea salt and mix. Pour the caramel into a jar and set aside to cool completely.

Take the chilled bowl and mixer attachments out of the fridge. Pour 500ml of very cold heavy cream into the bowl. Whip on high speed until the cream becomes thick and stiff. When you remove the beaters, there should be clear, standing patterns ('stiff peaks') left on the cream.

In a large bowl, pour in the entire can of sweetened condensed milk. Add the cooled browned butter, a pinch of fine salt, and the seeds scraped from the vanilla pod (slice the pod lengthwise and scrape out the seeds with the blunt side of a knife). Mix everything thoroughly with a whisk until you achieve a smooth mixture.

Add 1/3 of the whipped cream to the condensed milk mixture and mix vigorously with a whisk to 'loosen' it a bit. Then add the remaining whipped cream and now very gently fold everything together using a silicone spatula. Make movements from the bottom to the top, as if you were 'scooping' the mixture, trying to keep as much air as possible. Mix only until the ingredients are combined.

In the prepared freezing container, spread half of the ice cream mixture and smooth the surface. Drizzle it with half of the cooled salted caramel. Then, add the rest of the ice cream mixture. Pour the remaining caramel on top. Using a knife or a skewer, make a few movements in the mixture to create fancy patterns (known as 'swirls') and lightly mix the caramel with the ice cream.

Cover the container tightly with plastic wrap, making sure it touches the surface of the ice cream (this will prevent ice crystals from forming on top), and then close the container with a lid if it has one. Place it in the freezer for 45-60 minutes.

After an hour, take the container out of the freezer. Using a fork or spoon, vigorously stir the mixture, trying to 'break up' the ice crystals forming at the edges and on the bottom. Place it back in the freezer. Repeat this process 2-3 more times at hourly intervals. This is a key step that mimics the work of an ice cream maker and ensures a creamy consistency.

After the last mixing, cover the surface of the ice cream with plastic wrap again, close the container, and freeze for at least 4-6 hours, preferably overnight, until the ice cream is completely frozen and firm. If you are using optional pecans, you can toast them in a dry pan and sprinkle them over the ice cream just before serving.