Indian Trifle

A cornmeal blancmange rather than a layered English trifle. The long, slow cooking is not padding — it is the whole point of the recipe.

• The hinge: don't shorten the double boilerCornmeal granules need extended moist heat to swell and lose their raw, sandy edge. Covered over simmering water for the two to three hours the recipe asks, taste for grittiness rather than watching the clock, and top up the water in the lower pan as it evaporates.
• Indian meal"White cornmeal" here means fine-ground white corn, not masa or grits. A fine or medium grind gives a smooth set; coarse stone-ground meal will stay noticeably grainy even after two hours.
• Shaved citronCandied citron peel, the same product used in fruitcake, sliced or shaved into thin slivers rather than chopped. Half a cup is roughly 3 oz. Candied lemon peel is the closest substitute; fresh citron is not the same thing.
• Scalding the milkBring the 3 cups to about 180F, just as bubbles form at the edge, then pour it onto the dry starch and meal while whisking constantly.
• "Over the fire"Direct medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens — a few minutes. Only then does it go into the double boiler for the long cook.
• Rice flour or cornstarchThey are not interchangeable in texture. Cornstarch sets firmer and will unmould more cleanly; rice flour gives a softer, slightly chalkier body.
• Setting and unmouldingChill at least 4 hours, and overnight for a moulded shape. Rinse the mould with cold water first; three tablespoons of starch with three of cornmeal in 3 cups of milk is a modest set, so a shallow mould or the glass dish the recipe offers is the safer choice.
• Yield and sweetnessServes 4 to 6 in small dishes. Four tablespoons of sugar is restrained by modern standards, and the citron carries much of the sweetness; taste before it goes to chill and add more if wanted, since it cannot be adjusted once set.