Creamy Banana Pudding

Ingredients

• 28 ounces milk, any percentage will do
• 16 ounces peeled, ripe banana from about 5 medium bananas, sliced into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 empty vanilla bean pod, left over from another project, optional
• 7 ounces plain or toasted sugar
• 1 1/4 ounces cornstarch
• 1/2 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt; for table salt, use about half as much by volume or the same weight
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
• 5 ounces egg yolk
• 1/4 ounce vanilla extract

Directions

1. Pour the milk into a 3-quart stainless steel saucier, add the sliced banana and the empty vanilla bean pod if you’re using it, and set the pan over medium heat. Bring it to a gentle simmer, giving it the occasional scrape with a flexible spatula so the bottom stays happy. Once the milk is simmering, take it off the heat, cover the pan, and let it sit until it reaches room temperature, about 4 hours. You can move on from here, or chill it for up to 24 hours if you’d like a stronger banana flavor; the timing is really about what works for you.
2. Set the banana milk back over medium heat and bring it to a simmer again, stirring the same way. Pour it through a fine-mesh sieve into a medium bowl, nudging the banana solids just enough to get the liquid out without pushing the pulp through. Save the pulp for another use if you like, though it doesn’t belong in the custard. If you added the vanilla pod, run a flexible spatula along the inside of each half to collect the milky flavor clinging there, then throw the pod away.
3. In that same 3-quart saucier, without washing it first, whisk together the sugar, cornstarch, salt, and cloves until they look evenly mixed. Add the egg yolks and whisk again, then slowly whisk in the infused milk. Put the pan back on the stove over medium-low heat and cook, whisking gently, until the custard is steaming, about 5 minutes.
4. Turn the heat up to medium and keep cooking until the custard thickens, about 5 minutes more. As soon as you see it start to bubble, set a timer and whisk for 90 seconds so the starch can do its job without being undone by the yolks. Take the pan off the heat, stir in the vanilla extract, and adjust with more vanilla, salt, or cloves if needed. If you want it extra smooth, pass the custard through the same sieve, still no washing required, to catch any chalazae or little bits of curdled custard.
5. Spoon the warm custard into parfait dishes and serve it right away, either plain or with toasted nuts, cocoa nibs, fresh fruit, unsweetened whipped cream, or any toppings you want.