Method
Warm the cream, stirring occasionally over a medium heat until you just start to see steam rise of the top. While the cream is warming separate 3 eggs reserving the yokes and beat with the 3 whole eggs and sugar until the mixture has lightened and is slightly foamy and the sugar has dissolved. Then slowly pour the warmed cream about a cup at a time into the sugar and egg mixture whisking while pouring. This is called tempering the eggs and suspends the cream inside the egg protein. Mix in the salt and seeds from the vanilla bean.
Pour the 1 ½ cups of water into a high sided sauce pan and the sugar being careful to pour the sugar in the center and not let it touch the sides of the pan. Place on a medium high burner and after the water starts to heat wash the side of the pan down with a pastry brush and then stir until the water comes to a boil. Let the sugar caramelize to a medium dark caramel approximately half an hour. Remove from the heat slightly before the caramel has reached the color you want it to be. Set the ramekins into the perforated steamer basket and carefully ladle around 1 ½ t of caramel into each one then roll the ramekin to evenly coat the inside. Pour the tempered egg mixture into the caramel coated ramekin and steam at 200 degrees for about 33 minutes check the custard by gently jiggling the ramekin the custard should be slightly loose in the center. When the custards are set let cool on counter for half an hour and then refrigerate for 1 to 2 days.
