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Keftedes me Prassa

Petite pan-fried fritters, commonly referred to as keftedes, stand as a treasured signature dish in Sephardic Jewish cooking. These particular leek fritters offer a delicious blend of rich beef with the subtle, sweetly mild taste of leeks, and they are absolutely addictive.

Makes 12

• 4 large leeks
• 250g ground beef
• 2 fresh eggs
• 1 tbsp dry breadcrumbs
• 1 tbsp dill, minced
• 1 tbsp fresh parsley, minced
• ½ tsp sweet paprika
• Extra virgin olive oil, for cooking
• Lemon wedges, to accompany

Clean the green leeks properly and trim off the roots and the bulk of the green stalk. Chop in half longways then into 1.5cm pieces. Put in a deep frying pan and fill with cold water, then heat over a medium heat for about 20 minutes or until softened.

Remove the water from the cooked leeks and transfer in a large mixing bowl with the minced beef, beaten eggs, matzo meal, chopped dill, flat-leaf parsley and paprika and spice liberally with salt and pepper. Combine well using your palms then form a several scoops into a croquette, pressing a slightly. Put on a plate and continue for the balance of the ingredients.

Warm olive oil in a pan to a amount of about ¾ inch over a medium heat. When the oil is sizzling, cook the patties in batches until golden on both sides. (Do not fill the pan as this lowers the oil temperature of the oil.) Remove the finished patties to a tray covered with absorbent paper and permit to cool.

Serve with lemon wedges.

Keftes de Espinacha

These amazing spinach with cheese croquettes are a true pleasure. The crispy crust reveals a creamy center. The leafy spinach imparts a fresh, somewhat natural taste, while the dairy provides a deep, flavorful creaminess. It's possible to replace the cheesy element with cooked, pureed spuds if you wish.

Makes 16–18

• 1kg baby spinach (alternatively about 500g frozen leaf spinach, defrosted in the fridge in the refrigerator)
• 3 tbsp extra virgin oil
• 1 large onion, minced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 100g kefalotyri, grated
• 80g soft cheese
• ½ tsp fresh nutmeg
• ½ tsp sweet paprika
• 120g crumbs (about 1.25 cups), plus extra if needed
• 3 fresh eggs
• Cooking oil for frying (or alternatively sunflower oil)
• Lemon slices, to serve

When using fresh spinach, rinse it carefully, removing any stalks, and coarsely chop it into large chunks. Put in a large saucepan with a bit of hot water over a medium flame. Once wilted, remove in a strainer for about a quarter hour, then squeeze out any extra water and set aside.

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

Warm the cooking oil in a frying pan over a medium heat and saute the diced onion and garlic cloves until tender, about 4 minutes. Take off the stove.

Combine the prepared spinach, fried onion and garlic, hard cheese, soft cheese, grated nutmeg, sweet paprika, breading and eggs in a large bowl and spice with pepper and salt. Mix thoroughly until incorporated. If the mixture seems too wet, mix in some extra breadcrumbs.

By hand, form the dough into oval croquettes a bit bigger than a walnut shell but less bulky than an chicken egg, and set them on a tray topped with baking paper. Cover and cool for at least 1 hour.

In a wide pan over moderate heat, heat cooking oil to a depth of about half an inch. Cook the patties a few at a time for two to three minutes each side, turning so they are golden brown all over, then place on paper towel.

Present with lemon wedges.

Kroketes Fakes

Boasting a crunchy outside and tender interior, these fritters are not only delicious but also a extremely wholesome appetizer or meal.

Yields 12

• 45g brown lentils (¼ cup)
• 90g bulgur wheat (½ cup)
• 125ml extra virgin oil (½ cup)
• 1 large onion, minced
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• 1 tbsp chopped mint, chopped
• 1 tbsp parsley, diced
• 1 egg
• Pepper and salt, to liking
• Greek yoghurt and lemon wedges, to serve

Add the dry lentils in a pan and submerge with enough water. Cook over a medium heat for about 20 minutes or until almost cooked, adding additional water to ensure the pulses submerged if required.

Stir in the burghul and keep cooking until fully cooked. Remove the water from the lentils and burghul completely and put aside in a container.

Preheat 50% of the