Seadas (Sevadas)
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Servings: 4
Origin
Region: Sardinia
Historical Context: A historic pastoral dish native to the rugged Barbagia mountains of Sardinia. Originally prepared by shepherds' wives as a substantial main course to welcome shepherds returning home from seasonal migration.
Description
A massive, spectacular fried pastry medallion. A crispy semolina dough envelope holds a filling of melted, young, fresh pecorino cheese infused with grated lemon zest. It is fried until blistered and drenched in bitter wild Sardinian strawberry tree honey (miele di corbezzolo).
Presentation
Served piping hot on a flat plate immediately after frying while the internal cheese is fully melted and stretchy. Drizzled heavily with warm, dark honey.
Ingredients
For Pastry Dough: 200g durum wheat semolina flour (semola rimacinata), 30g lard, roughly 80ml warm water, pinch of salt.
For Filling: 250g fresh, young unsalted Sardinian Pecorino cheese (or fresh cow's milk cheese curds), grated zest of 1 large organic lemon.
To Finish: 4 tbsp Sardinian bitter Corbezzolo honey (or dark chestnut honey), olive oil for shallow frying.
Step-by-Step Directions
Make Pastry: Knead the semolina flour, lard, warm water, and salt together for 10 minutes until a very smooth, elastic dough forms. Wrap and rest for 20 minutes.
Prep Cheese: Melt the grated fresh pecorino cheese in a small saucepan over low heat with the lemon zest just until it binds together. Pour onto parchment paper and cut into four 3-inch flat round discs. Let cool.
Roll Sheets: Roll the semolina pastry dough out quite thin. Use a pastry cutter wheel to cut out 8 matching circular dough discs roughly 4 inches wide.
Seal Cheese: Place a cold lemon-cheese disc in the center of four dough circles. Top with the remaining four dough circles, pressing down firmly around the edges to expel all air bubbles. Trim with a fluted wheel to seal completely.
Shallow Fry: Heat an inch of olive oil in a skillet to 180°C (350°F). Fry one seada at a time, using a spoon to ladle hot oil over the top dome so it puffs up with crispy blisters without needing to be flipped over. Fry for 2 minutes until light golden.
Dress Hot: Drain quickly on paper towels, place onto a warm serving dish, and instantly drench the hot pastry with a generous stream of warm bitter honey.
Optional Variations
Seadas al Zucchero: For those who find the traditional bitter medicinal profile of corbezzolo honey too dominant, the fried cheese pastry can be rolled in coarse granulated sugar instead.
Cooking Tips
Ensure the edges of the pastry are sealed flawlessly with no pinholes. If even a fraction of the internal cheese escapes into the hot frying oil, it will spit violently, tearing open the pastry and emptying the shell.
Nutrition Facts
Calories: 360 kcal
Carbohydrates: 42g
Protein: 10g
Fat: 17g
Sodium: 210mg
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