2/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 tsp salt
2 1/2 cups whole milk
4 large egg yolks
1 vanilla bean, split
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
fresh pomegranate seeds for garnishing

Place a fine-mesh sieve over a large bowl and set aside. In a medium saucepan, combine together sugar, cornstarch and salt. Add milk slowly and dissolve the cornstarch completely. Whisk in the egg yolks. Scrape the insides of the vanilla bean halves into the pot.  Add the empty pods into the pot as well.  Place the saucepan over medium heat, whisking constantly until the first large bubble forms and it sputters. Reduce heat to low, whisking constantly and cook for 1 minute. The mixture will start to thicken, whisk constantly. Remove from the flame, immediately pour the mixture sieve into the bowl . Stir butter into hot pudding and combine well. Place a plastic wrap directly on the surface of the pudding (to prevent the formation of skin on the pudding). Chill for at least 3 hours in the refrigerator before serving with pomegranate seeds.