2 cups of Indian meal
3 pints of cold water
Put the water on, and when it boils add salt. Then add the Indian
meal, little by little, stirring all the time. Allow it to boil over a
moderate fire for one-half hour, stirring constantly. When the meal
has become quite stiff, take a wooden spoon and dip it into hot water,
and with it detach the Indian meal from the side of the saucepan, then
hold the saucepan for a moment over the hottest part of the fire,
until the Indian meal has become detached from the bottom. Then turn
it out onto the bread-board; it should come out whole in a mold. Let
it stand a few moments to cool. Then with a wire cut it into slices
about the thickness of a finger. Place these slices on a hot platter
in a layer; pour over them a good meat gravy and grated cheese; then
put on another layer of the polenta, and add more gravy and cheese,
and so on, until your polenta is used up.