🔗 Share this article

Leek Croquettes

Small pan-fried croquettes, typically referred to as keftedes, represent a treasured signature dish in Sephardic cooking. These particular leek croquettes offer a flavorful blend of rich minced beef with the gentle, slightly sweet flavour of tender leeks, and they are utterly crave-worthy.

Produces 12

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

Clean the leeks well and cut away the root ends and the bulk of the green stalk. Cut into halves along the length then into 1.5-centimeter pieces. Put in a deep frying pan and cover with cold water, then cook over a medium heat for about twenty minutes or until cooked through.

Remove the water from the leeks and put in a large mixing bowl with the beef, eggs, crumbs, fresh dill, parsley and sweet paprika and flavor liberally with seasoning. Combine completely using your fingers then shape a several spoonfuls into a patty, flattening a little. Place on a platter and proceed for the rest of the preparation.

Preheat cooking oil in a skillet to a amount of about 2cm over a medium flame. When the heated oil is hot, cook the croquettes in small batches until crispy on each side. (Don't overcrowd the frying pan as this reduces the heat of the cooking oil.) Remove the finished fritters to a tray covered with paper towel and allow to drain.

Serve with fresh lemon.

Keftes de Espinacha

These amazing spinach and cheese fritters are a genuine delight. The golden exterior opens up to a creamy interior. The leafy spinach adds a vibrant, somewhat natural taste, while the cheese gives a savory, flavorful creaminess. Feel free to swap the cheese with steamed, mashed potato if you like.

Makes 16–18

• 1kg baby spinach (or about 500g frozen spinach, thawed overnight in the refrigerator)
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 yellow onion, finely diced
• 2 cloves of garlic, crushed
• 100g kefalotyri, shredded
• 80g ricotta
• ½ tsp grated nutmeg
• ½ tsp paprika
• 120g breadcrumbs (about 1.25 cups), plus extra if required
• 3 eggs
• Cooking oil for deep-frying (or neutral oil)
• Fresh lemon, to serve

For fresh spinach, clean it carefully, getting rid of any hard stems, and coarsely chop it into big pieces. Transfer in a big pot with a bit of hot water over a medium flame. Once wilted, remove in a sieve for about 15 mins, then squeeze out any remaining moisture and reserve.

If using defrosted spinach, carefully remove excess liquid.

Preheat the cooking oil in a skillet over a moderate heat and cook the chopped onion and garlic cloves until translucent, about 4 minutes. Remove from the flame.

Put the cooked spinach, fried onion and garlic, kefalotyri, creamy cheese, nutmeg, paprika, breadcrumbs and eggs in a large bowl and spice with pepper and salt. Combine completely until combined. If the mixture appears too loose, incorporate some extra breadcrumbs.

With your fingers, mold the preparation into elongated patties somewhat larger than a nut but less bulky than an chicken egg, and put them on a plate lined with baking paper. Seal and cool for at least 1 hour.

In a big skillet over moderate heat, warm olive oil to a depth of about 1 centimeter. Fry the fritters a small batch for a couple of minutes per side, flipping so they are golden all over, then transfer on kitchen roll.

Offer with lemon wedges.

Kroketes Fakes

Boasting a golden crust and tender interior, these fritters are not only tasty but also a extremely wholesome bite or dish.

Yields 12

• 45g dry lentils (0.25 cup)
• 90g bulgur wheat (0.5 cup)
• 125ml extra virgin oil (0.5 cup)
• 1 onion, chopped small
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• 1 tbsp fresh mint, minced
• 1 tbsp flat-leaf parsley, diced
• 1 fresh egg
• Seasoning, to preference
• Greek yoghurt and fresh lemon, to serve

Add the brown lentils in a saucepan and cover with ample cold water. Boil over a medium heat for about 20 minutes or until almost cooked, pouring more water to keep the lentils immersed if required.

Add the burghul and proceed cooking until fully cooked. Remove the water from the lentils and burghul thoroughly and set aside in a container.

Preheat half of the