Le Seadas, a typical Sardinian dessert, are a traditional recipe with ancient peasant origins. Two sheets of pasta enclose a soft and irresistible filling of fresh sheep's cheese, flavored with lemon zest. This dessert is fried and then sprinkled with corbezzolo or chestnut honey. These have a slightly bitter taste and are rich in intense aromas that make the seadas unique and fragrant. An exceptional combination of sweet and savory. Seadas are a Sardinian specialty and take on a different name each time in the local dialect.
History and Origins
Once this recipe was seen as a single dish, it was prepared for Christmas and Easter festivities, in fact the shepherds at that time used to prepare fresh cheese. This dessert, like sa pippia cun s'ou, brings me back to the memory of my grandmother and when I was a child, I always spent my holidays with her in Sardinia. Even today I have impressed in my mind, memories and scents of a happy childhood. With a traditional recipe, in addition to the goodness, I think that one remains linked above all to the intensity of the memory that it leaves inside.
Ingredients
For the seadas:
- 140 gr. of rice flour
- 30 gr. of corn flour, fioretto type
- 35 gr. of corn starch
- 50 gr. of clarified butter or lard
- 70 gr. of water
- 1 teaspoon of acacia honey
- Half a lemon zest
- A pinch of salt
For the filling:
- 180-200 gr. of Sardinian Pecorino cheese
- 1 teaspoon of corbezzolo honey
- 1 grated lemon zest
Preparation
Now let's see how to make seadas as per tradition, but I will also leave the alternative with other ingredients to have an equally good result. q.b. q.b. q.b.
For the preparation of Sardinian seadas with cheese and honey, start by preparing the filling by pouring the pecorino cheese, honey and lemon zest (or orange if you prefer) into a cup. Then mix and crush with a fork. Sift the flours, pouring them into the planetary mixer container, and add the lemon zest, honey, salt and butter, turning on the planetary mixer until a compact dough is obtained. You can add lard instead of butter. Take the fresh pasta dough and form a ball, which will be covered with cling film and left to rest for about 30 minutes. After the resting time, divide the dough in two and roll it out on a floured pastry board. Now create pasta discs of about 9 cm in diameter, using a pastry cutter. Put a spoonful of filling in the center of the disc and cover with a disc of pasta, taking care to make the edges adhere well. In a saucepan, fry the seadas in abundant olive oil and cook them until golden brown, then place them to drain on absorbent paper. Finally, place the hot seadas on a plate and drop a drop of honey. Your typical Sardinian dessert is ready! These sweets must be very hot to enjoy them at their best.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Prepare the Filling: In a bowl, combine the grated Pecorino cheese, corbezzolo honey, and lemon zest. Mix well and set aside.
- Make the Dough: In a separate bowl or a planetary mixer, sift together the rice flour, corn flour, and corn starch. Add the lemon zest, acacia honey, salt, and clarified butter (or lard). Mix until a compact dough forms.
- Rest the Dough: Form the dough into a ball, wrap it in plastic wrap, and let it rest for about 30 minutes.
- Shape the Seadas: After resting, divide the dough in half and roll it out thinly on a floured surface. Use a 9 cm pastry cutter to create circles of dough.
- Fill the Seadas: Place a spoonful of the cheese filling in the center of half of the dough circles.
- Seal the Seadas: Cover each filled circle with another circle of dough, pressing the edges firmly to seal. Ensure no air is trapped inside.
- Fry the Seadas: Heat plenty of olive oil in a saucepan. Fry the seadas until golden brown, then drain on absorbent paper.
- Serve: Place the hot seadas on a plate and drizzle with corbezzolo honey. Serve immediately.
Variations
- Without Lard: For a lighter version, use extra virgin olive oil instead of lard in the dough.
- Gluten-Free: This recipe is already gluten-free, using rice and corn flour.
- Lactose-Free: Use aged Pecorino cheese, which has naturally lower lactose content, or a lactose-free Pecorino.
- Baked Seadas: For a healthier option, bake the seadas in a preheated oven at 170°C (338°F) for 20 minutes, or until golden brown.
- Savory Filling: Experiment with savory fillings like mozzarella or meat.
Seadas without gluten and lactose
The seadas (or sebadas) that I present here have a particularity: they are prepared in such a way as to be accessible also to celiacs and those intolerant to lactose. The merit goes to the use of special flours, which do not contain gluten, and to the use of lactose-free cheeses (or milk derivatives). As gluten-free flour I chose rice and corn flour, a mix that is actually a great classic of celiac cuisine, capable of almost faithfully replicating the flavor of glutinous flours. This type of flour stands out for its effectiveness and yield, to the point that they rarely require the integration of a thickener or starch. As regards cheeses and milk derivatives, the recipe proposes clarified butter (which contains less lactose than the standard one) and aged Sardinian Pecorino. Maturation, in fact, naturally degrades lactose.
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Tips and Tricks
- The seadas must be served hot to fully appreciate the contrast between the warm, melted cheese and the sweet honey.
- To prevent the seadas from opening during frying, make sure to seal the edges well.
- Use a slotted spoon to remove the seadas from the oil and drain them on paper towels to remove excess oil.
- Seadas can be frozen, and then thawed when desired. Just freeze them separately.
Which honey to use?
The list of ingredients for seadas also includes honey, used both in the dough and in the filling. The honey reserved for the dough is acacia, which is lighter than other types of honey (such as wildflower), and also sweetens the compounds without heavily intervening on the organoleptic level. The honey reserved for the filling is corbezzoli honey, which has a dark and intense color, tending to amber. Its consistency is dense and compact, similar to the most complex honeys, while the flavor is bitter and pungent, enhanced by light smoky notes and a persistent aftertaste. Clearly that of corbezzoli is not a sweet honey like the others, nevertheless it conquers for its aromatic complexity. It is perfect for accompanying aged cheeses, so it is not surprising that it is part of the filling of the seadas, which also sees Pecorino as the protagonist.
Serving and Enjoying
Le Seadas are best enjoyed hot, with a generous drizzle of honey. The traditional choice is corbezzolo honey, which offers a slightly bitter and complex flavor that complements the cheese perfectly. However, acacia honey can be used for a milder sweetness. These delicious treats are perfect as a dessert or a special snack, bringing a taste of Sardinia to your table.
FAQ about seadas
What honey is used for seadas? For seadas, corbezzolo honey is used, with a bitter and characteristic flavor, ideal for seasoning the freshly fried dessert. In some cases, acacia honey can also be used if you want a more delicate and less invasive note than the decisive flavor of corbezzolo.
What cheese is inside the seadas? The cheese used for seadas is fresh Pecorino, a typical Sardinian cheese with a slightly acidic taste. This type of cheese is grated, or cut into slices, and inserted inside the pasta, which is then fried and seasoned with honey. The combination of melted cheese and honey creates a truly unique sweet-salty contrast. Those suffering from lactose intolerance should use aged Pecorino, or lactose-free Pecorino.
What flour is needed for seadas? To prepare seadas, durum wheat flour is used, ideal for obtaining a crunchy and elastic consistency, suitable for frying. Durum wheat semolina flour allows you to create a full-bodied pasta, which maintains its structure during cooking. The version I present here is based on rice and corn flour, so it is suitable for celiacs.
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How many calories does a seadas have? A seadas can contain about 400-500 calories, depending on the size and the amount of honey used. This fried dessert is rich in calories due to frying, cheese and honey, ingredients that make it a nutritious and caloric dessert, so it should be consumed in moderation.
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