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Keftedes me Prassa

Small crispy croquettes, often known as keftedes, stand as a treasured delicacy in Sephardic culinary traditions. These wonderful leek croquettes offer a tasty blend of savory ground beef with the subtle, mildly sweet flavour of fresh leeks, and they are truly crave-worthy.

Yields 12

• 4 leeks
• 250g minced beef meat
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tbsp matzo meal
• 1 tbsp dill, minced
• 1 tbsp flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
• ½ tsp paprika
• Oil, for cooking
• Fresh lemon wedges, to garnish

Wash the fresh leeks carefully and remove the roots and the bulk of the dark green parts. Cut into halves lengthways then into half-inch rounds. Put in a large skillet and submerge with water, then heat over a medium flame for about 20 minutes or until tender.

Drain the cooked leeks and put in a large mixing bowl with the beef, beaten eggs, breadcrumbs, dill, flat-leaf parsley and sweet paprika and season generously with salt and pepper. Combine well using your fingers then form a several tablespoonfuls into a patty, flattening a bit. Put on a platter and continue for the remaining of the mixture.

Warm oil in a skillet to a depth of about 2cm over a medium heat. When the heated oil is hot, brown the patties in batches until golden on all sides. (Avoid overcrowding the skillet as this drops the heat of the cooking oil.) Transfer the cooked patties to a tray topped with paper towel and permit to cool.

Offer with lemon wedges.

Keftes de Espinacha

These spinach with cheese fritters are a true delight. The crispy outside gives way to a smooth center. The leafy spinach adds a fresh, slightly green flavor, while the dairy provides a deep, savory smoothness. Feel free to swap the cheese with boiled, mashed potato if you wish.

Makes 16–18

• 1kg fresh spinach (alternatively about 500g iced spinach, softened for several hours in the fridge)
• 3 tbsp extra virgin oil
• 1 yellow onion, finely diced
• 2 garlic pieces, finely chopped
• 100g salty cheese, grated
• 80g creamy ricotta
• ½ tsp fresh nutmeg
• ½ tsp sweet paprika
• 120g crumbs (about 1.25 cups), with more if needed
• 3 large eggs
• Cooking oil for frying (or alternatively sunflower oil)
• Lemon wedges, to serve

For fresh spinach, rinse it carefully, discarding any hard stems, and coarsely chop it into big pieces. Put in a deep pan with a bit of liquid over a medium heat. Once wilted, remove in a colander for about 15 minutes, then remove any remaining moisture and set aside.

When working with thawed frozen spinach, thoroughly squeeze out excess liquid.

Heat the oil in a skillet over a moderate heat and fry the chopped onion and garlic until tender, about four minutes. Turn off the stove.

Place the prepared spinach, fried onion and softened garlic, hard cheese, soft cheese, grated nutmeg, sweet paprika, breading and beaten eggs in a container and season with seasoning. Stir thoroughly until blended. If the preparation appears too loose, incorporate some extra crumbs.

With your fingers, form the dough into elongated patties somewhat larger than a nut but smaller than an large egg, and put them on a plate topped with baking paper. Seal and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

In a large frying pan over moderate heat, heat cooking oil to a amount of about 1cm. Fry the fritters a small batch for 2–3 minutes on both sides, turning so they are crispy all over, then put on paper towel.

Present with fresh lemon.

Kroketes Fakes

Featuring a crispy exterior and moist center, these fritters are not only tasty but also a highly wholesome bite 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 cumin powder
• 1 tbsp chopped mint, diced
• 1 tbsp fresh parsley, diced
• 1 large egg
• Salt and pepper, to liking
• Greek yoghurt and lemon wedges, to accompany

Add the dry lentils in a pot and fill with plenty of water. Cook over a medium flame for about twenty minutes or until almost cooked, pouring more water to maintain the legumes submerged if needed.

Add the cracked wheat and proceed cooking until fully cooked. Remove the water from the ingredients completely and put aside in a mixing bowl.

Warm half of the