Both the pod and seeds of the vanilla bean can be used as flavourings; the seeds impart a stronger flavour than the pod.
Splitting the Pod
Halve pod lengthwise; infuse in warm milk, 30 minutes, or bury in jar of caster sugar.
Removing the Seeds
Scrape out seeds from halved bean with tip of knife; use as for pod above.
© 1996 All rights reserved. Published by Le Cordon Bleu.