Separate the eggs and place the yolks into a large bowl.
Whisk the sugar into the egg yolks until the mixture is pale and thick.
Incorporate the cornflour into the yolks if you are using it.
Pour the cream and milk into a medium saucepan.
Scrape the seeds from the vanilla pod and add them to the liquid.
Heat the mixture to just below boiling and slowly whisk it into the eggs.
Sieve the custard into a clean pan and stir over low heat until thickened.
Transfer to a shallow container and cool to room temperature.
Cover and chill the custard in the fridge overnight.
Freeze the custard, whisking every hour for three hours to ensure smoothness.
Leave the ice cream in the freezer until it is completely solid.
Allow the ice cream to sit at room temperature for 10 minutes before scooping.