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Leek Croquettes

Bite-sized fried patties, often called keftedes, represent a treasured speciality in Sephardic Jewish cuisine. These wonderful leek patties deliver a tasty fusion of rich beef with the gentle, slightly sweet taste of tender leeks, making them truly irresistible.

Yields 12

• 4 large leeks
• 250g ground beef
• 2 fresh eggs
• 1 tbsp dry breadcrumbs
• 1 tbsp dill, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
• ½ tsp sweet paprika
• Extra virgin olive oil, for frying
• Lemon slices, to serve

Clean the green leeks properly and remove the base and the majority of the green stalk. Chop into halves along the length then into 1.5cm pieces. Transfer in a deep frying pan and fill with cold water, then heat over a moderate heat for about 20 minutes or until softened.

Remove the water from the cooked leeks and put in a large mixing bowl with the ground beef, eggs, breadcrumbs, dill, parsley and paprika and season generously with salt and pepper. Mix completely using your hands then shape a several scoops into a croquette, shaping a little. Set on a platter and continue for the remaining of the mixture.

Warm olive oil in a frying pan to a depth of about 2 centimeters over a medium heat. When the oil is hot, fry the fritters in small batches until crispy on all sides. (Avoid overcrowding the pan as this drops the temperature of the cooking oil.) Remove the ready croquettes to a dish topped with kitchen paper and allow to rest.

Offer with lemon wedges.

Spinach Patties

These amazing cheesy spinach fritters are a true delight. The crunchy exterior opens up to a creamy filling. The fresh spinach brings a vibrant, moderately natural taste, while the grated cheese offers a deep, umami smoothness. Feel free to swap the dairy cheese with cooked, pureed potato if you like.

Produces 16–18

• 1kg spinach leaves (or about 500g iced spinach, thawed in the fridge in the refrigerator)
• 3 tbsp oil
• 1 large onion, diced small
• 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
• 100g kefalotyri, grated
• 80g creamy ricotta
• ½ tsp grated nutmeg
• ½ tsp paprika
• 120g crumbs (1 and ¼ cups), plus extra if necessary
• 3 fresh eggs
• Olive oil for deep-frying (or use neutral oil)
• Fresh lemon, to garnish

For raw spinach, clean it carefully, getting rid of any hard stems, and cut into it into sizable portions. Put in a large saucepan with a small amount liquid over a moderate heat. Once wilted, remove in a sieve for about 15 minutes, then remove any extra water and reserve.

When working with previously frozen spinach, completely press out excess liquid.

Warm the oil in a pan over a medium heat and fry the diced onion and minced garlic until translucent, about 4 minutes. Take off the heat.

Combine the wilted spinach, sauteed onion and garlic, kefalotyri, soft cheese, grated nutmeg, sweet paprika, breadcrumbs and beaten eggs in a large bowl and season with seasoning. Stir completely until blended. If the preparation looks too loose, add some more breadcrumbs.

Using your hands, shape the preparation into oval croquettes slightly larger than a walnut shell but more compact than an large egg, and set them on a plate lined with baking paper. Seal and refrigerate for at least one hour.

In a large frying pan over medium heat, warm olive oil to a depth of about 1cm. Cook the croquettes a small batch for 2–3 minutes on both sides, flipping so they are golden brown completely, then transfer on absorbent paper.

Serve with fresh lemon.

Kroketes Fakes

Featuring a golden crust and soft inside, these patties are not only flavorful but also a highly nutritious snack or main course.

Produces 12

• 45g dry lentils (¼ cup)
• 90g cracked wheat (0.5 cup)
• 125ml extra virgin oil (0.5 cup)
• 1 onion, minced
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• 1 tbsp mint leaves, diced
• 1 tbsp flat-leaf parsley, chopped
• 1 large egg
• Pepper and salt, to preference
• Greek yoghurt and lemon wedges, to accompany

Put the brown lentils in a pan and fill with plenty of cold water. Simmer over a medium heat for about 20 mins or until almost cooked, adding additional water to ensure the legumes covered if necessary.

Add the bulgur wheat and proceed cooking until fully cooked. Remove the water from the ingredients well and set aside in a mixing bowl.

Warm 50% of the