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Leek Croquettes

Petite crispy fritters, commonly known as keftedes, represent a treasured signature dish in Sephardic cuisine. These wonderful leek patties deliver a delicious blend of savory beef with the subtle, sweetly mild flavour of fresh leeks, rendering them utterly crave-worthy.

Produces 12

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

Clean the green leeks properly and remove the root ends and the bulk of the dark green parts. Cut lengthwise lengthways then into 1.5cm slices. Put in a deep frying pan and cover with fresh water, then cook over a moderate heat for about twenty minutes or until softened.

Remove the water from the cooked leeks and place in a big bowl with the beef, eggs, crumbs, chopped dill, parsley and paprika and flavor liberally with seasoning. Stir completely using your hands then shape a several tablespoonfuls into a ball, shaping a slightly. Set on a tray and continue for the remaining of the preparation.

Warm olive oil in a frying pan to a depth of about 2 centimeters over a medium heat. When the oil is sizzling, cook the patties in small batches until golden brown on both sides. (Do not fill the frying pan as this drops the temperature of the oil.) Take out the ready fritters to a dish covered with kitchen paper and allow to rest.

Present with lemon wedges.

Keftes de Espinacha

These delightful spinach with cheese croquettes are a genuine pleasure. The crispy crust opens up to a creamy interior. The fresh spinach brings a fresh, moderately green taste, while the cheese provides a savory, umami richness. You can substitute the cheese with steamed, pureed potato if you like.

Makes 16–18

• 1kg fresh spinach (alternatively about 500g frozen leaf spinach, defrosted for several hours in the refrigerator)
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, diced small
• 2 garlic pieces, minced
• 100g hard cheese, grated finely
• 80g soft cheese
• ½ tsp grated nutmeg
• ½ tsp paprika
• 120g dry breadcrumbs (about 1.25 cups), additional if necessary
• 3 large eggs
• Olive oil for deep-frying (or vegetable oil)
• Lemon slices, to serve

When using raw spinach, clean it carefully, getting rid of any hard stems, and roughly chop it into big pieces. Place in a deep pan with a bit of water over a medium flame. Once softened, strain in a colander for about 15 mins, then press out any remaining moisture and reserve.

For thawed frozen spinach, carefully squeeze out extra water.

Preheat the oil in a skillet over a medium heat and cook the chopped onion and garlic cloves until tender, about four minutes. Turn off the stove.

Put the wilted spinach, cooked onion and sauteed garlic, hard cheese, soft cheese, spice, sweet paprika, breading and eggs in a container and flavor with salt and pepper. Mix well until incorporated. If the dough seems too wet, mix in some extra crumbs.

Using your hands, form the dough into oval croquettes a bit bigger than a nut but less bulky than an chicken egg, and put them on a tray lined with parchment paper. Seal and cool for at least 60 minutes.

In a large frying pan over medium flame, heat olive oil to a level of about half an inch. Fry the fritters a few at a time for a couple of minutes on both sides, turning so they are golden brown completely, then transfer on absorbent paper.

Offer with lemon wedges.

Lentil Croquettes

With their golden crust and moist center, these croquettes are not only delicious but also a extremely wholesome bite or meal.

Yields 12

• 45g dry lentils (0.25 cup)
• 90g cracked wheat (0.5 cup)
• 125ml olive oil (0.5 cup)
• 1 yellow onion, finely diced
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• 1 tbsp chopped mint, chopped
• 1 tbsp fresh parsley, minced
• 1 large egg
• Salt and pepper, to preference
• Creamy yogurt and lemon slices, to accompany

Add the brown lentils in a saucepan and submerge with plenty of water. Cook over a moderate heat for about 20 mins or until nearly done, including additional water to maintain the lentils covered if needed.

Mix in the bulgur wheat and keep cooking until fully cooked. Drain the lentils and burghul completely and put aside in a container.

Heat a portion of the