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Leek Croquettes

Petite fried croquettes, often called keftedes, stand as a beloved speciality in Sephardic Jewish cuisine. These wonderful leek patties deliver a flavorful blend of savory ground beef with the subtle, slightly sweet essence of tender leeks, making them truly crave-worthy.

Produces 12

• 4 leeks
• 250g ground beef meat
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tbsp matzo meal
• 1 tbsp chopped dill, minced
• 1 tbsp flat-leaf parsley, diced
• ½ tsp sweet paprika
• Olive oil, for pan-frying
• Fresh lemon wedges, to garnish

Wash the leeks well and remove the root ends and most of the dark green parts. Chop into halves longways then into 1.5cm slices. Put in a deep frying pan and cover with cold water, then cook over a moderate heat for about 20 mins or until tender.

Drain the cooked leeks and transfer in a large mixing bowl with the beef, eggs, breadcrumbs, dill, parsley and sweet paprika and flavor liberally with pepper and salt. Combine thoroughly using your hands then mold a couple of spoonfuls into a croquette, flattening a little. Set on a tray and continue for the remaining of the ingredients.

Preheat oil in a skillet to a depth of about 2 centimeters over a moderate heat. When the olive oil is hot, cook the fritters in small groups until golden on each side. (Avoid overcrowding the frying pan as this drops the oil temperature of the oil.) Take out the cooked patties to a plate covered with kitchen paper and let to cool.

Present with lemon slices.

Spinach Croquettes

These amazing spinach and cheese fritters are a real pleasure. The crunchy crust reveals a smooth interior. The fresh spinach brings a fresh, somewhat green flavor, while the grated cheese gives a deep, umami richness. It's possible to replace the dairy cheese with steamed, mashed spuds if you prefer.

Makes 16–18

• 1kg baby spinach (or about 500g frozen spinach, thawed for several hours in the fridge)
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 yellow onion, diced small
• 2 garlic pieces, crushed
• 100g hard cheese, shredded
• 80g ricotta
• ½ tsp fresh nutmeg
• ½ tsp paprika
• 120g dry breadcrumbs (1 and ¼ cups), plus extra if necessary
• 3 large eggs
• Oil for frying (or vegetable oil)
• Fresh lemon, to serve

For raw spinach, rinse it well, discarding any tough stems, and roughly chop it into big pieces. Transfer in a big pot with a small amount hot water over a medium flame. Once cooked, drain in a colander for about 15 minutes, then remove any extra water and set aside.

When working with defrosted spinach, carefully press out extra water.

Heat the olive oil in a skillet over a moderate heat and fry the onion and minced garlic until translucent, about four minutes. Turn off the heat.

Put the wilted spinach, cooked onion and sauteed garlic, grated cheese, creamy cheese, spice, red spice, dry crumbs and eggs in a large bowl and flavor with salt and pepper. Combine well until blended. If the mixture appears too soft, add some extra crumbs.

By hand, shape the dough into oval croquettes a bit bigger than a nut but smaller than an chicken egg, and put them on a plate covered with baking paper. Cover and refrigerate for at least 60 minutes.

In a large frying pan over moderate heat, warm olive oil to a level of about half an inch. Brown the fritters a small batch for two to three minutes per side, turning so they are golden brown everywhere, then put on absorbent paper.

Offer with lemon wedges.

Lentil Croquettes

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

Produces 12

• 45g dry lentils (0.25 cup)
• 90g cracked wheat (0.5 cup)
• 125ml extra virgin oil (½ cup)
• 1 onion, minced
• 1 tsp cumin spice
• 1 tbsp chopped mint, chopped
• 1 tbsp parsley, diced
• 1 fresh egg
• Salt and pepper, to preference
• Yogurt and lemon wedges, to accompany

Add the dry lentils in a saucepan and fill with enough water. Cook over a moderate heat for about 20 minutes or until almost cooked, pouring more water to ensure the legumes immersed if needed.

Stir in the burghul and keep cooking until softened. Remove the water from the lentils and burghul well and set aside in a mixing bowl.

Heat half of the