What is Sebadas?
Sebadas are conventional Sardinian sweets, probably best known in Italy, is made with semolina, pecorino cheese, honey and sugar giving a piquant flavour. They dish looked like an entrée but interestingly it is a famous Sardinian desserts. Sebadas are crunchy, crispy deeply fried pastry filled with cheese and dipped in honey.
Though of Spanish origin, the dish is produced all over the Sardinian island and is known in various dialect (Cebar in Spanish and Seada, Seatta in Sardinia). This partly savoury and partly sweet dish is traditionally prepared around Easter and Christmas on the farmer’s homecoming from their pastoral fields.
History/Origin
Sebadas are typical dish of sheepherding communities. The name has been derived from the Sardinian word “Seu,” which is an animal fat used for making candles. History unfolds that women would dress up for their husband and wait for their husbands to return home with their sheep during spring.
They would serve the men with Sebadas after they spent a long period in the pastureland. They are found in the areas of Barbagia , Ogliastra , Logudoro and Gallura, which are related to sheep farming. It is a cheese based product, thus cheese must be fresh, filled with cream and cheese.
Making process
The main ingredients used flour, eggs, cheese acid, honey, and lard and lemon zest. The preparation of the dough is simply and easy. It is done by adding semolina, eggs, water and salt, and is blended for 15 minutes. Use butter or lard and continue mixing with the dough until and unless it turns soft and smooth.
Give it a shape of a ball and leave it for 30minutes in the fridge. Next roll the dough and cut it in numerous small circular structure via pastry cutter. Fill your dough with sheep’s milk cheese and seal it using another disc. To prevent the Sebadas from opening, brush their edges with egg white and squeeze the sides.
Deep fry it in plenty of oil and sprinkle honey on top and your Sebadas are ready to eat. Serve them with wines like Malvasia di Bosa, Vernaccia di Oristano & Anghelu Ruju. To add more flavour to your Sebadas, you may also you orange blossom honey, wild herb honey or chestnut honey.
Recipe
Cheese and chocolate Sebadas- This dish requires grated Brinata or Manchego cheese, grated lemon and orange peel, bittersweet chocolate, hazel nuts, egg, milk, mint leaves, olive oil and chestnut honey. Create your dough with flour, salt and milk and leave it for 1 hour. Flatten your dough and create the circular discs. Fill the dough with cheese and chocolate filling with mint leaf. Seal your dough by placing another disk on top and fry it in abundant olive oil. Fry till it turns to be crispy golden brown and garnish it with chestnut honey.
Sebadas fritters- This recipe requires attention as it is made out of Corbezzolo, an Italian shrub which is famous for its bittersweet nectar. The elements includes semolina flour, egg white, fresh pecorino, organic lemons, and white wine, butter or lard, vegetable oil and corbezzolo honey. Prepare the dough by mixing flour, wine, and butter and knead well till it becomes soft and spongy. Blend the cheese and the lemon zest together and stuff it between of two discs. Use egg white at the outer edge of the discs and compress it down the edges. Cook them in vegetable oil and later dip them in warm corbezzelo honey.
