Heat the oven and prep the ramekins. Heat oven to 325°F. Place six 4- to 6-oz shallow ramekins in a deep roasting pan. Bring a kettle of water to a boil for the bain-marie.
Infuse the cream. Combine heavy cream, vanilla bean pod and seeds, and a pinch of salt in a saucepan. Heat over medium until small bubbles appear at the edges and steam rises, . Remove from heat; let steep . Discard the pod (or rinse, dry, and reuse to make vanilla sugar).
Whisk the yolks. In a bowl, whisk yolks with 1/2 cup sugar until pale and thickened, about . Do not overbeat or you'll incorporate air bubbles into the custard.
Temper the yolks. Slowly drizzle the warm cream into the yolks while whisking constantly — pour in a thin stream so the eggs don't scramble. If using vanilla extract, whisk it in now.
Strain and fill. Strain the custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a measuring cup with a spout. Skim off any foam. Divide evenly among the ramekins.
Bake in a water bath. Pour the boiled water into the roasting pan until it reaches halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Bake — the custards should be set at the edges but still wobble slightly in the center when nudged. Internal temp ~170°F.
Chill thoroughly. Lift ramekins from the water bath and cool on a rack . Cover and refrigerate at least , ideally overnight.
Caramelize the tops. Just before serving, blot any condensation from the custard surfaces. Sprinkle 1 tbsp sugar evenly over each ramekin, tilting to coat. Use a kitchen torch in slow, sweeping passes until the sugar melts, bubbles, and turns deep amber. Let the caramel set before serving.