1) Check the cooking instructions on the bag of tapioca that you are using: some have to be soaked (overnight) first, other types of tapioca can be boiled right away.

2) Pour the milk in a large saucepan and add the caster sugar and a pinch of salt. Slice the vanilla bean in half and remove the black seeds inside with the tip of a sharp knife. Add both the vanilla seeds and the vanilla bean to the milk as well.

3) Bring the milk to a good boil over high heat and then add the tapioca pearls. Turn the heat lower to medium-low and bring the milk and tapioca to a light simmer. Don’t cover the pan. Let the tapioca thicken until cooked through. Mine took about 30 minutes to become tender. Taste the tapioca regularly to check on the tenderness.

4) Once the tapioca is tender, take the pan off the heat and let it cool down for 10 minutes. Remove the cooked vanilla bean. Then add the egg yolks to the tapioca milk and stir vigorously to keep the yolks from curdling.

5) Then put the pan back of medium-low and slowly warm the tapioca pudding up again. Stir constantly. The tapioca pudding will thicken into a custard. Keep the heat low.

6) Then pour the tapioca pudding into ramekins or glasses and serve warm or let them cool down.