🔗 Share this article

Leek Patties

Petite crispy fritters, commonly called keftedes, are a treasured speciality in Sephardic culinary traditions. These wonderful leek patties offer a flavorful blend of rich minced beef with the subtle, slightly sweet essence of tender leeks, rendering them absolutely irresistible.

Produces 12

• 4 fresh leeks
• 250g ground beef
• 2 eggs
• 1 tbsp breadcrumbs
• 1 tbsp chopped dill, minced
• 1 tbsp parsley, finely chopped
• ½ tsp mild paprika
• Oil, for pan-frying
• Fresh lemon wedges, to serve

Clean the green leeks carefully and trim off the root ends and the majority of the green tops. Cut into halves longways then into half-inch rounds. Transfer in a large skillet and cover with cold water, then heat over a medium flame for about 20 mins or until softened.

Drain the cooked leeks and transfer in a large mixing bowl with the minced beef, eggs, breadcrumbs, dill, parsley and spice and spice generously with salt and pepper. Mix thoroughly using your hands then form a few scoops into a croquette, shaping a slightly. Place on a tray and continue for the remaining of the preparation.

Warm olive oil in a frying pan to a depth of about 2cm over a medium heat. When the oil is ready, brown the patties in small groups until golden on both sides. (Do not fill the pan as this drops the temperature of the cooking oil.) Remove the cooked patties to a tray topped with paper towel and permit to drain.

Present with lemon slices.

Spinach Croquettes

These spinach and cheese patties are a genuine delight. The golden crust gives way to a creamy interior. The leafy spinach brings a fresh, moderately earthy flavor, while the cheese gives a savory, flavorful creaminess. It's possible to replace the dairy cheese with steamed, crushed spuds if you prefer.

Produces 16–18

• 1kg baby spinach (alternatively about 500g iced spinach, defrosted in the fridge in the refrigerator)
• 3 tbsp oil
• 1 onion, finely diced
• 2 garlic pieces, finely chopped
• 100g kefalotyri, shredded
• 80g ricotta
• ½ tsp nutmeg spice
• ½ tsp mild spice
• 120g dry breadcrumbs (1¼ cups), additional if necessary
• 3 eggs
• Oil for deep-frying (or use neutral oil)
• Lemon wedges, to garnish

When using raw spinach, rinse it thoroughly, getting rid of any stalks, and roughly chop it into large chunks. Put in a large saucepan with a little water over a medium heat. Once softened, drain in a sieve for about a quarter hour, then squeeze out any remaining moisture and reserve.

When working with previously frozen spinach, thoroughly squeeze out unwanted moisture.

Warm the oil in a frying pan over a medium heat and saute the diced onion and garlic until softened, about four minutes. Remove from the stove.

Combine the prepared spinach, fried onion and softened garlic, grated cheese, creamy cheese, grated nutmeg, sweet paprika, breading and eggs in a container and season with salt and pepper. Combine well until combined. If the preparation looks too soft, add some more breading.

Using your hands, form the mixture into oval shapes slightly larger than a walnut shell but more compact than an chicken egg, and put them on a baking sheet lined with wax paper. Wrap and cool for at least one hour.

In a wide pan over medium flame, heat oil to a amount of about 1cm. Fry the fritters a few at a time for a couple of minutes on both sides, rotating so they are crispy all over, then place on absorbent paper.

Offer with fresh lemon.

Lentil Croquettes

Featuring a crunchy outside and tender interior, these fritters are not only tasty but also a wonderfully nutritious bite or dish.

Yields 12

• 45g dry lentils (¼ cup)
• 90g cracked wheat (half a cup)
• 125ml extra virgin oil (½ cup)
• 1 onion, minced
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tbsp fresh mint, diced
• 1 tbsp flat-leaf parsley, chopped
• 1 large egg
• Pepper and salt, to liking
• Yogurt and fresh lemon, to garnish

Put the dry lentils in a pan and submerge with plenty of cold water. Cook over a moderate heat for about 20 minutes or until partially softened, pouring more water to ensure the legumes submerged if needed.

Stir in the burghul and proceed cooking until fully cooked. Drain the lentils and burghul completely and put aside in a mixing bowl.

Heat a portion of the