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1
Combine the semola rimacinata, rendered lard, warm water and salt. Work to a smooth, firm dough. Wrap and rest for 30 minutes at room temperature. The dough is ready when it is supple and no longer sticky to the touch.
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2
Grate or crumble the Pecorino Sardo fresco into a bowl. Add the lemon zest and mix thoroughly. The filling must carry a perceptible sourness and the sharp perfume of lemon; a flat or milky smell signals an unsuitable cheese.
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3
Roll the rested dough to 2 mm thickness on a lightly floured surface. Cut circles 10–12 cm in diameter. Place a portion of filling at the centre of half the circles. Cover each with a second circle, pressing firmly to expel air pockets, then pinch the edges into a rope seal. The sealed edge must be completely airtight — this is where the dish lives or dies: any gap will allow the melting cheese to escape into the oil and the pastry to collapse.
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4
Heat the lard or olive oil in a wide, deep pan to 175 °C. Fry the seadas in batches, turning once, until golden and slightly puffed on both sides — 3 to 4 minutes in total. The correct colour is an even deep gold; pale pastry indicates insufficient temperature, and the pastry will be oil-laden.
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5
Lift the seadas with a slotted spoon, drain briefly, and transfer immediately to warm plates. Dress at once with the warmed honey, which must be fluid enough to run into every crack in the pastry. Serve within two minutes of frying; the contrast of hot, crisp pastry and warm honey is lost as the seadas cool.