🔗 Share this article

Leek Patties

Small crispy fritters, often referred to as keftedes, stand as a cherished signature dish in Sephardic cooking. These particular leek croquettes offer a tasty blend of rich minced beef with the gentle, slightly sweet essence of fresh leeks, making them utterly addictive.

Makes 12

• 4 large leeks
• 250g ground beef
• 2 eggs
• 1 tbsp dry breadcrumbs
• 1 tbsp fresh dill, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp fresh parsley, minced
• ½ tsp sweet paprika
• Extra virgin olive oil, for frying
• Fresh lemon wedges, to garnish

Wash the fresh leeks well and trim off the root ends and the bulk of the green tops. Chop into halves along the length then into 1.5cm rounds. Place in a deep pan and submerge with cold water, then heat over a medium heat for about 20 mins or until cooked through.

Drain the softened leeks and place in a mixing bowl with the minced beef, eggs, crumbs, fresh dill, flat-leaf parsley and paprika and spice generously with seasoning. Mix completely using your palms then form a couple of scoops into a patty, flattening a bit. Set on a tray and proceed for the remaining of the preparation.

Warm olive oil in a skillet to a amount of about ¾ inch over a moderate heat. When the olive oil is ready, fry the croquettes in small groups until golden brown on all sides. (Do not fill the pan as this lowers the temperature of the oil.) Remove the cooked fritters to a plate lined with absorbent paper and let to cool.

Offer with lemon wedges.

Keftes de Espinacha

These delightful spinach and cheese patties are a true delight. The golden outside reveals a soft center. The leafy spinach adds a bright, somewhat natural note, while the grated cheese provides a rich, flavorful smoothness. Feel free to swap the cheese with steamed, pureed potato if you like.

Makes 16–18

• 1kg baby spinach (alternatively about 500g frozen spinach, defrosted overnight in the fridge)
• 3 tbsp extra virgin oil
• 1 large onion, minced
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 100g hard cheese, grated
• 80g soft cheese
• ½ tsp nutmeg spice
• ½ tsp sweet paprika
• 120g crumbs (1¼ cups), additional if required
• 3 eggs
• Cooking oil for pan-frying (or use vegetable oil)
• Lemon wedges, to accompany

If using leafy greens, clean it well, discarding any hard stems, and roughly chop it into big pieces. Place in a deep pan with a bit of water over a medium heat. Once cooked, drain in a sieve for about 15 mins, then press out any remaining moisture and set aside.

If using thawed frozen spinach, completely remove unwanted moisture.

Heat the cooking oil in a frying pan over a moderate heat and saute the diced onion and garlic cloves until tender, about four minutes. Remove from the heat.

Put the wilted spinach, fried onion and softened garlic, kefalotyri, soft cheese, grated nutmeg, paprika, breading and beaten eggs in a large bowl and season with salt and pepper. Stir completely until blended. If the dough appears too wet, incorporate some more breadcrumbs.

With your fingers, form the preparation into oval croquettes a bit bigger than a walnut but less bulky than an large egg, and place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Cover and cool for at least 1 hour.

In a wide pan over medium flame, heat olive oil to a level of about 1cm. Cook the croquettes a small batch for a couple of minutes each side, flipping so they are golden brown completely, then place on kitchen roll.

Present with fresh lemon.

Lentil Croquettes

Featuring a crunchy outside and tender interior, these croquettes are not only tasty but also a wonderfully wholesome appetizer or dish.

Produces 12

• 45g dry lentils (¼ cup)
• 90g bulgur wheat (half a cup)
• 125ml extra virgin oil (half a cup)
• 1 large onion, finely diced
• 1 tsp cumin spice
• 1 tbsp mint leaves, chopped
• 1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
• 1 egg
• Pepper and salt, to liking
• Yogurt and lemon wedges, to accompany

Add the dry lentils in a saucepan and cover with plenty of fresh water. Cook over a medium heat for about 20 minutes or until partially softened, adding additional water to maintain the legumes immersed if required.

Add the cracked wheat and continue cooking until fully cooked. Drain the mixture well and reserve in a mixing bowl.

Warm half of the