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Keftedes me Prassa

Bite-sized crispy fritters, commonly known as keftedes, stand as a treasured delicacy in Sephardic Jewish cooking. These leek croquettes offer a tasty combination of rich beef with the subtle, sweetly mild essence of leeks, and they are truly addictive.

Produces 12

• 4 fresh leeks
• 250g ground beef
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tbsp breadcrumbs
• 1 tbsp fresh dill, diced
• 1 tbsp flat-leaf parsley, diced
• ½ tsp paprika
• Extra virgin olive oil, for frying
• Fresh lemon wedges, to accompany

Thoroughly wash the leeks well and trim off the base and most of the dark green parts. Slice into halves lengthways then into half-inch rounds. Transfer in a large skillet and fill with cold water, then simmer over a moderate heat for about 20 minutes or until softened.

Drain the cooked leeks and put in a big bowl with the minced beef, eggs, matzo meal, fresh dill, chopped parsley and paprika and spice generously with seasoning. Mix thoroughly using your fingers then mold a few scoops into a patty, flattening a bit. Place on a platter and repeat for the rest of the mixture.

Warm olive oil in a skillet to a depth of about 2cm over a medium flame. When the heated oil is sizzling, cook the croquettes in small groups until crispy on each side. (Don't overcrowd the skillet as this drops the oil temperature of the cooking oil.) Take out the cooked croquettes to a tray topped with kitchen paper and allow to rest.

Serve with fresh lemon.

Spinach Croquettes

These spinach and cheese fritters are a real delight. The crispy exterior reveals a smooth interior. The leafy spinach adds a bright, moderately earthy flavor, while the dairy offers a rich, umami creaminess. It's possible to replace the cheese with cooked, mashed spuds if you like.

Makes 16–18

• 1kg baby spinach (or else about 500g iced spinach, thawed overnight in the fridge)
• 3 tbsp extra virgin oil
• 1 yellow onion, diced small
• 2 garlic pieces, finely chopped
• 100g kefalotyri, grated finely
• 80g soft cheese
• ½ tsp grated nutmeg
• ½ tsp mild spice
• 120g crumbs (1¼ cups), additional if needed
• 3 eggs
• Olive oil for pan-frying (or use sunflower oil)
• Lemon slices, to garnish

For leafy greens, wash it well, discarding any tough stems, and roughly chop it into sizable portions. Place in a large saucepan with a little water over a medium heat. Once wilted, remove in a colander for about 15 mins, then squeeze out any excess liquid and reserve.

When working with defrosted spinach, completely remove excess liquid.

Preheat the cooking oil in a frying pan over a medium heat and fry the diced onion and garlic cloves until softened, about four minutes. Remove from the flame.

Put the wilted spinach, sauteed onion and sauteed garlic, kefalotyri, soft cheese, grated nutmeg, sweet paprika, dry crumbs and eggs in a large bowl and spice with seasoning. Combine completely until blended. If the preparation appears too soft, incorporate some more breadcrumbs.

Using your hands, shape the preparation into elongated patties a bit bigger than a nut but less bulky than an egg, and place them on a plate lined with baking paper. Cover and cool for at least 1 hour.

In a wide pan over medium flame, heat cooking oil to a depth of about half an inch. Cook the fritters a handful for 2–3 minutes per side, turning so they are golden everywhere, then place on absorbent paper.

Offer with fresh lemon.

Lentil Croquettes

With their crunchy outside and tender interior, these croquettes are not only flavorful but also a wonderfully wholesome appetizer or meal.

Yields 12

• 45g dry lentils (one-quarter cup)
• 90g bulgur wheat (½ cup)
• 125ml oil (0.5 cup)
• 1 onion, minced
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• 1 tbsp mint leaves, chopped
• 1 tbsp flat-leaf parsley, minced
• 1 egg
• Seasoning, to liking
• Yogurt and fresh lemon, to accompany

Place the brown lentils in a pan and fill with plenty of fresh water. Cook over a medium heat for about 20 minutes or until nearly done, adding extra liquid to ensure the lentils submerged if required.

Add the bulgur wheat and keep cooking until softened. Remove the water from the mixture completely and set aside in a mixing bowl.

Preheat 50% of the