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Keftedes me Prassa

Small pan-fried patties, often known as keftedes, stand as a treasured delicacy in Sephardic Jewish cuisine. These wonderful leek croquettes present a delicious combination of rich minced beef with the subtle, sweetly mild taste of leeks, making them absolutely crave-worthy.

Produces 12

• 4 fresh leeks
• 250g minced beef
• 2 fresh eggs
• 1 tbsp breadcrumbs
• 1 tbsp dill, minced
• 1 tbsp flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
• ½ tsp sweet paprika
• Olive oil, for cooking
• Lemon slices, to serve

Wash the green leeks properly and cut away the base and most of the dark green parts. Cut lengthwise longways then into half-inch rounds. Transfer in a deep frying pan and fill with water, then heat over a medium heat for about 20 minutes or until tender.

Drain the cooked leeks and put in a big bowl with the ground beef, beaten eggs, breadcrumbs, chopped dill, parsley and sweet paprika and spice well with salt and pepper. Mix thoroughly using your palms then form a few scoops into a croquette, shaping a bit. Place on a plate and repeat for the balance of the mixture.

Warm cooking oil in a skillet to a depth of about 2 centimeters over a medium heat. When the olive oil is sizzling, fry the croquettes in batches until crispy on all sides. (Do not fill the skillet as this reduces the oil temperature of the cooking oil.) Transfer the finished croquettes to a tray lined with kitchen paper and allow to rest.

Present with lemon wedges.

Spinach Patties

These amazing spinach with cheese fritters are a real delight. The crispy crust gives way to a smooth center. The spinach brings a fresh, somewhat natural flavor, while the grated cheese offers a deep, umami creaminess. It's possible to replace the cheese with cooked, crushed spuds if you like.

Yields 16–18

• 1kg baby spinach (alternatively about 500g iced spinach, thawed overnight in the cooler)
• 3 tbsp oil
• 1 large onion, diced small
• 2 garlic pieces, crushed
• 100g kefalotyri, grated finely
• 80g soft cheese
• ½ tsp grated nutmeg
• ½ tsp sweet paprika
• 120g dry breadcrumbs (about 1.25 cups), additional if necessary
• 3 eggs
• Cooking oil for frying (or sunflower oil)
• Fresh lemon, to garnish

For leafy greens, clean it well, getting rid of any stalks, and roughly chop it into sizable portions. Transfer in a large saucepan with a little water over a moderate heat. Once wilted, remove in a sieve for about 15 mins, then squeeze out any remaining moisture and set aside.

If using defrosted spinach, carefully squeeze out unwanted moisture.

Warm the olive oil in a skillet over a moderate heat and cook the onion and garlic until translucent, about a few minutes. Remove from the flame.

Combine the prepared spinach, fried onion and sauteed garlic, grated cheese, soft cheese, spice, red spice, breadcrumbs and eggs in a large bowl and spice with seasoning. Mix well until combined. If the preparation appears too soft, add some more crumbs.

Using your hands, form the preparation into elongated patties a bit bigger than a nut but less bulky than an chicken egg, and set them on a plate lined with wax paper. Cover and chill for at least 60 minutes.

In a large frying pan over medium heat, preheat olive oil to a depth of about half an inch. Fry the croquettes a few at a time for 2–3 minutes per side, turning so they are crispy completely, then put on kitchen roll.

Serve with lemon slices.

Lentil Croquettes

With their crunchy outside and soft inside, these patties are not only delicious but also a extremely nutritious bite or meal.

Makes 12

• 45g dried brown lentils (¼ cup)
• 90g burghul (half a cup)
• 125ml oil (half a cup)
• 1 large onion, finely diced
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• 1 tbsp fresh mint, minced
• 1 tbsp flat-leaf parsley, chopped
• 1 egg
• Seasoning, to liking
• Yogurt and lemon wedges, to serve

Place the brown lentils in a saucepan and submerge with plenty of fresh water. Cook over a medium heat for about 20 minutes or until nearly done, including additional water to maintain the legumes covered if necessary.

Mix in the bulgur wheat and keep cooking until tender. Drain the lentils and burghul thoroughly and reserve in a bowl.

Warm half of the