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Keftedes me Prassa

Bite-sized crispy croquettes, commonly known as keftedes, stand as a treasured speciality in Sephardic Jewish cooking. These wonderful leek patties present a tasty combination of savory ground beef with the subtle, sweetly mild flavour of leeks, rendering them utterly crave-worthy.

Yields 12

• 4 leeks
• 250g minced beef
• 2 fresh eggs
• 1 tbsp matzo meal
• 1 tbsp dill, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp flat-leaf parsley, diced
• ½ tsp sweet paprika
• Oil, for pan-frying
• Lemon wedges, to accompany

Clean the leeks carefully and trim off the root ends and the majority of the green tops. Slice in half longways then into 1.5cm rounds. Place in a large skillet and fill with cold water, then simmer over a moderate heat for about 20 mins or until cooked through.

Remove the water from the cooked leeks and place in a big bowl with the minced beef, beaten eggs, matzo meal, fresh dill, flat-leaf parsley and sweet paprika and season liberally with seasoning. Combine completely using your fingers then shape a couple of scoops into a ball, flattening a slightly. Put on a plate and repeat for the rest of the mixture.

Preheat oil in a pan to a level of about 2cm over a moderate heat. When the olive oil is hot, brown the croquettes in small groups until golden brown on both sides. (Don't overcrowd the frying pan as this lowers the heat of the cooking oil.) Remove the ready fritters to a plate covered with kitchen paper and let to cool.

Present with lemon wedges.

Spinach Patties

These spinach with cheese fritters are a true delight. The golden crust opens up to a soft interior. The spinach brings a fresh, somewhat earthy note, while the cheese provides a savory, flavorful smoothness. You can substitute the cheese with cooked, crushed potato if you wish.

Makes 16–18

• 1kg spinach leaves (or about 500g frozen spinach, softened overnight in the refrigerator)
• 3 tbsp extra virgin oil
• 1 large onion, diced small
• 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
• 100g kefalotyri, shredded
• 80g soft cheese
• ½ tsp fresh nutmeg
• ½ tsp mild spice
• 120g breadcrumbs (1¼ cups), plus extra if needed
• 3 fresh eggs
• Cooking oil for pan-frying (or use sunflower oil)
• Fresh lemon, to garnish

For raw spinach, clean it carefully, getting rid of any stalks, and roughly chop it into large chunks. Place in a deep pan with a small amount water over a medium heat. Once wilted, strain in a colander for about 15 mins, then squeeze out any extra water and put aside.

If using defrosted spinach, carefully squeeze out extra water.

Preheat the olive oil in a frying pan over a medium heat and fry the onion and garlic cloves until translucent, about a few minutes. Turn off the flame.

Combine the wilted spinach, cooked onion and softened garlic, hard cheese, soft cheese, nutmeg, sweet paprika, breadcrumbs and eggs in a large bowl and flavor with seasoning. Mix well until blended. If the dough seems too wet, add some additional crumbs.

By hand, mold the dough into oval croquettes a bit bigger than a walnut but more compact than an large egg, and place them on a tray lined with baking paper. Wrap and chill for at least 1 hour.

In a wide pan over moderate heat, preheat cooking oil to a level of about 1cm. Fry the patties a handful for a couple of minutes each side, turning so they are crispy all over, then transfer on absorbent paper.

Offer with fresh lemon.

Kroketes Fakes

With their crunchy outside and soft inside, these patties are not only flavorful but also a highly wholesome bite or main course.

Produces 12

• 45g dry lentils (¼ cup)
• 90g cracked wheat (0.5 cup)
• 125ml olive oil (0.5 cup)
• 1 onion, chopped small
• 1 tsp cumin spice
• 1 tbsp chopped mint, diced
• 1 tbsp flat-leaf parsley, minced
• 1 egg
• Pepper and salt, to taste
• Yogurt and fresh lemon, to garnish

Put the dry lentils in a pan and submerge with plenty of cold water. Boil over a medium flame for about 20 mins or until almost cooked, pouring more water to keep the legumes covered if needed.

Stir in the bulgur wheat and continue cooking until tender. Drain the ingredients thoroughly and put aside in a container.

Heat a portion of the