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Keftedes me Prassa

Small pan-fried croquettes, often referred to as keftedes, represent a treasured delicacy in Sephardic cooking. These leek fritters deliver a tasty combination of savory beef with the subtle, mildly sweet flavour of leeks, making them utterly irresistible.

Makes 12

• 4 fresh leeks
• 250g ground beef meat
• 2 eggs
• 1 tbsp matzo meal
• 1 tbsp fresh dill, diced
• 1 tbsp fresh parsley, diced
• ½ tsp mild paprika
• Extra virgin olive oil, for frying
• Lemon wedges, to garnish

Wash the leeks carefully and remove the base and most of the dark green parts. Cut in half along the length then into 1.5cm rounds. Place in a deep frying pan and cover with water, then heat over a moderate heat for about 20 mins or until tender.

Remove the water from the leeks and transfer in a large mixing bowl with the ground beef, eggs, matzo meal, fresh dill, flat-leaf parsley and spice and season generously with pepper and salt. Stir thoroughly using your palms then shape a few scoops into a croquette, flattening a bit. Set on a platter and continue for the rest of the mixture.

Warm cooking oil in a pan to a level of about 2 centimeters over a medium heat. When the heated oil is ready, fry the croquettes in small batches until crispy on each side. (Avoid overcrowding the pan as this drops the temperature of the cooking oil.) Take out the ready fritters to a plate lined with kitchen paper and let to rest.

Serve with lemon wedges.

Spinach Croquettes

These spinach with cheese patties are a genuine treat. The crunchy outside gives way to a soft interior. The fresh spinach adds a fresh, somewhat green flavor, while the dairy offers a rich, umami creaminess. Feel free to swap the dairy cheese with cooked, pureed spuds if you prefer.

Makes 16–18

• 1kg baby spinach (alternatively about 500g frozen spinach, softened in the fridge in the refrigerator)
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 yellow onion, minced
• 2 garlic pieces, minced
• 100g kefalotyri, shredded
• 80g soft cheese
• ½ tsp fresh nutmeg
• ½ tsp paprika
• 120g crumbs (1 and ¼ cups), with more if necessary
• 3 large eggs
• Cooking oil for frying (or alternatively sunflower oil)
• Lemon wedges, to garnish

If using raw spinach, wash it carefully, removing any hard stems, and coarsely chop it into sizable portions. Transfer in a deep pan with a bit of liquid over a medium heat. Once softened, remove in a colander for about 15 minutes, then press out any extra water and put aside.

For thawed frozen spinach, completely squeeze out excess liquid.

Preheat the oil in a frying pan over a medium flame and cook the diced onion and garlic until softened, about a few minutes. Take off the stove.

Place the cooked spinach, fried onion and sauteed garlic, hard cheese, soft cheese, spice, paprika, breadcrumbs and eggs in a large bowl and flavor with pepper and salt. Stir well until incorporated. If the dough looks too soft, mix in some more breadcrumbs.

By hand, mold the dough into oval croquettes a bit bigger than a walnut but smaller than an large egg, and put them on a plate covered with wax paper. Wrap and cool for at least 1 hour.

In a big skillet over medium heat, preheat cooking oil to a depth of about 1cm. Cook the patties a handful for 2–3 minutes on both sides, flipping so they are crispy everywhere, then put on kitchen roll.

Present with lemon slices.

Kroketes Fakes

Featuring a golden crust and tender interior, these fritters are not only flavorful but also a extremely healthy appetizer or meal.

Yields 12

• 45g dry lentils (0.25 cup)
• 90g burghul (0.5 cup)
• 125ml olive oil (½ cup)
• 1 large onion, minced
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tbsp mint leaves, diced
• 1 tbsp flat-leaf parsley, chopped
• 1 fresh egg
• Salt and pepper, to preference
• Yogurt and lemon slices, to serve

Put the brown lentils in a pot and cover with plenty of cold water. Simmer over a moderate heat for about twenty minutes or until partially softened, pouring extra liquid to keep the pulses immersed if needed.

Mix in the bulgur wheat and continue cooking until softened. Strain the ingredients thoroughly and set aside in a container.

Warm half of the