Huitlacoche Sauce over Polenta

“Polenta” is the word we now use in North America to refer to the former cornmeal mush, a gift of the Americas—not Italy—that attained celebrity with its use by Italians. Now we need Mexican huitlacoche to teach us about the pleasures of what we grimly refer to as “corn smut,” which grows anywhere corn does.

The following warm, thick, sweetish charcoal porridge is utterly mysterious—your guests will have no idea what it is made of. The looks suggest a dark chilli sauce or refried bl