Italian cuisine · Desserts & Sweets

Seadas Sarde

Sardinian pastry pockets with young fresh cheese and lemon zest, fried and drizzled hot with bitter honey.

Ingredients · for 4 servings

• 300 g durum wheat semolina
• 50 g butter
• 150 ml lukewarm water
• 1 pinch salt
• 400 g fresh cheese (young pecorino, or mozzarella)
• 1 organic lemon (zest)
• 1 tbsp semolina
• 1 l frying oil
• 150 g thyme honey

Instructions

1. Knead the durum wheat semolina with a pinch of salt, the soft butter and the lukewarm water into a smooth, firm dough for 10 min. and let rest covered for 30 min.
2. Coarsely grate the cheese, melt in a pot over low heat while stirring for 4–5 min. until it pulls into a stretchy mass, and knead with the grated lemon zest and 1 tbsp semolina.
3. Roll out the cheese mixture to 1 cm thickness, let cool completely, and cut out eight circles about 8 cm in diameter.
4. Roll the dough out paper-thin and cut out sixteen circles of 11 cm; place one cheese circle in the center of each dough circle, cover with a second, and press the edge firmly together with your fingers, crimping it decoratively.
5. Heat the frying oil to 170°C and fry the seadas individually for 1–2 min. per side until the dough is light golden brown and puffed up in large bubbles; drain on kitchen paper.
6. Warm the honey until liquid, pour over the hot pastries, and serve immediately while the cheese center is still stretchy and soft.