Combine ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons of the sugar with the water in a small saucepan and bring to a rapid boil. Add the cardamom and reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook for 5 minutes, then add the milk, bring to a boil then immediately remove from the heat. Set aside and allow the milk to steep for 15 minutes.

Whisk the egg yolks with the remaining ¼ cup of sugar until the yolks turn pale yellow.

Heat the cardamom-infused milk once again, on low heat until hot. Pour the hot milk in a steady stream into the beaten egg yolks, whisking the whole time to avoid any lumps or scrambling of the eggs. Pour the custard mix back into the saucepan and cook on low heat, stirring continuously for about 6 to 8 minutes, until the custard thickens to coat a spoon.

Put a handful of ice cubes and a cup or two of water in a large bowl. Place a medium bowl in this ice bath. Remove the custard from the heat and strain it into the medium bowl. This cools the custard quickly.

When the custard has cooled through, stir in the heavy cream, vanilla extract, and sea salt. Pour into an ice-cream maker. Freeze according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

Most budget ice cream machines will produce a soft serve consistency. If you would like to be able to scoop your ice cream, I recommend pouring into a loaf pan lined with parchment paper. Top with parchment paper and wrap tightly with plastic wrap. Freeze for 4 hours. At this point, the ice cream will harden and you can scoop.