Choose young pecorino that softens when warmed. Fold it with lemon zest and baste the pastry carefully with hot oil as it fries. Corbezzolo honey gives this version a bitter-sweet finish.
Make ahead You can shape and seal the seadas a few hours ahead and keep them covered in the fridge, then fry them only when everyone is at the table.
Seadas
Prep 50 min · Cook 15 min · Rest 30 min · Serves 6 · Difficulty Medium
Method
Rub the lard into the semola with the salt, then knead with about 150 ml warm water into a smooth, plastic dough. Rest 30 minutes wrapped.
40 min
Warm the cheese slices briefly in a dry pan just until they slump, fold in the lemon zest, and shape into 6 flat discs about 8 cm wide. Cool.
12 min
Roll the dough 2 mm thin. Cut twelve 10 cm rounds. Center a cheese disc on six of them, cap with the others, and press the borders sealed; trim with a fluted wheel.
20 min
Heat the oil to 170 C. Fry the seadas one or two at a time, spooning oil over the top, until blistered and gold on both faces, about 2 minutes per side.
12 min
Drain a breath on paper, plate immediately, and pour the warm honey over in ribbons.
3 min
Serve at once, while the heart still flows. A pinch of grated lemon zest over the honey is permitted and lovely.
Kitchen notes
The cheese must be young. For this filling, use young pecorino that softens when warmed. Test a small slice before making the discs.
Baste while frying. Spooning hot oil over the top blisters the pastry into the bubbled surface that marks a proper seada before you ever cut it.
Warm the honey just enough to pour it over the freshly fried pastry. Corbezzolo gives this version its bitter-sweet finish.
