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Keftedes me Prassa

Petite crispy fritters, commonly known as keftedes, stand as a treasured speciality in Jewish cooking. These leek croquettes offer a tasty blend of hearty beef with the delicate, sweetly mild essence of leeks, and they are absolutely crave-worthy.

Yields 12

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

Clean the green leeks properly and cut away the roots and most of the green tops. Slice in half along the length then into 1.5-centimeter pieces. Place in a deep frying pan and submerge with fresh water, then heat over a moderate heat for about 20 minutes or until softened.

Drain the leeks and transfer in a mixing bowl with the ground beef, eggs, matzo meal, chopped dill, flat-leaf parsley and paprika and spice generously with pepper and salt. Combine completely using your hands then form a couple of spoonfuls into a croquette, flattening a slightly. Put on a tray and repeat for the balance of the ingredients.

Warm olive oil in a frying pan to a level of about 2cm over a moderate heat. When the heated oil is hot, brown the croquettes in small batches until golden brown on both sides. (Do not fill the pan as this drops the oil temperature of the cooking oil.) Take out the finished croquettes to a plate lined with paper towel and permit to drain.

Serve with lemon slices.

Spinach Patties

These amazing spinach with cheese croquettes are a real pleasure. The golden outside reveals a soft filling. The spinach adds a bright, slightly green flavor, while the grated cheese offers a savory, umami smoothness. Feel free to swap the cheese with steamed, mashed potato if you prefer.

Yields 16–18

• 1kg fresh spinach (or else about 500g frozen leaf spinach, thawed in the fridge in the refrigerator)
• 3 tbsp oil
• 1 large onion, finely diced
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 100g kefalotyri, shredded
• 80g ricotta
• ½ tsp grated nutmeg
• ½ tsp mild spice
• 120g breadcrumbs (about 1.25 cups), plus extra if necessary
• 3 fresh eggs
• Cooking oil for frying (or alternatively vegetable oil)
• Fresh lemon, to accompany

If using fresh spinach, wash it thoroughly, getting rid of any tough stems, and coarsely chop it into big pieces. Transfer in a big pot with a bit of water over a medium heat. Once wilted, strain in a sieve for about 15 minutes, then press out any excess liquid and set aside.

When working with previously frozen spinach, carefully remove extra water.

Heat the oil in a frying pan over a medium flame and fry the onion and garlic cloves until translucent, about four minutes. Remove from the flame.

Place the cooked spinach, cooked onion and softened garlic, grated cheese, soft cheese, spice, paprika, breading and beaten eggs in a container and spice with pepper and salt. Combine well until combined. If the preparation looks too wet, mix in some additional breadcrumbs.

By hand, form the dough into oval croquettes slightly larger than a walnut but less bulky than an egg, and put them on a baking sheet covered with wax paper. Cover and cool for at least 1 hour.

In a wide pan over medium flame, preheat cooking oil to a depth of about 1 centimeter. Cook the fritters a few at a time for 2–3 minutes each side, rotating so they are golden brown all over, then place on absorbent paper.

Offer with fresh lemon.

Lentil Croquettes

With their crispy exterior and soft inside, these patties are not only flavorful but also a wonderfully wholesome bite or main course.

Produces 12

• 45g dried brown lentils (0.25 cup)
• 90g cracked wheat (0.5 cup)
• 125ml extra virgin oil (half a cup)
• 1 large onion, finely diced
• 1 tsp cumin spice
• 1 tbsp chopped mint, chopped
• 1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
• 1 large egg
• Salt and pepper, to liking
• Greek yoghurt and lemon slices, to accompany

Add the lentils in a pan and submerge with enough cold water. Simmer over a medium heat for about twenty minutes or until partially softened, including additional water to ensure the lentils submerged if necessary.

Mix in the burghul and keep cooking until tender. Drain the lentils and burghul well and put aside in a mixing bowl.

Preheat a portion of the