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Leek Croquettes

Bite-sized fried fritters, commonly referred to as keftedes, represent a treasured signature dish in Jewish cooking. These wonderful leek patties present a tasty blend of savory beef with the subtle, slightly sweet essence of leeks, and they are utterly crave-worthy.

Produces 12

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

Thoroughly wash the green leeks properly and trim off the roots and the bulk of the green tops. Chop in half longways then into 1.5cm pieces. Put in a large skillet and submerge with water, then heat over a moderate heat for about 20 mins or until softened.

Drain the leeks and put in a big bowl with the ground beef, eggs, breadcrumbs, chopped dill, parsley and spice and spice liberally with pepper and salt. Stir thoroughly using your palms then mold a several spoonfuls into a patty, shaping a slightly. Put on a tray and repeat for the remaining of the mixture.

Warm cooking oil in a frying pan to a level of about 2cm over a medium heat. When the heated oil is sizzling, fry the patties in small groups until crispy on each side. (Do not fill the pan as this lowers the heat of the oil.) Transfer the cooked croquettes to a plate topped with absorbent paper and permit to rest.

Serve with lemon slices.

Spinach Patties

These spinach and cheese croquettes are a real pleasure. The golden crust gives way to a soft interior. The spinach imparts a bright, somewhat earthy note, while the cheese offers a rich, umami smoothness. Feel free to swap the cheese with steamed, crushed potatoes if you wish.

Yields 16–18

• 1kg fresh spinach (or else about 500g iced spinach, softened in the fridge in the fridge)
• 3 tbsp extra virgin oil
• 1 yellow onion, diced small
• 2 cloves of garlic, crushed
• 100g kefalotyri, grated finely
• 80g creamy ricotta
• ½ tsp nutmeg spice
• ½ tsp sweet paprika
• 120g dry breadcrumbs (about 1.25 cups), with more if necessary
• 3 eggs
• Cooking oil for deep-frying (or alternatively sunflower oil)
• Lemon slices, to serve

When using raw spinach, rinse it carefully, discarding any hard stems, and roughly chop it into big pieces. Place in a deep pan with a little hot water over a medium flame. Once wilted, remove in a sieve for about 15 mins, then squeeze out any excess liquid and put aside.

For defrosted spinach, carefully remove unwanted moisture.

Warm the oil in a skillet over a medium flame and cook the chopped onion and garlic until translucent, about four minutes. Remove from the heat.

Put the wilted spinach, fried onion and sauteed garlic, grated cheese, ricotta, nutmeg, red spice, dry crumbs and beaten eggs in a big mixing bowl and season with pepper and salt. Mix thoroughly until combined. If the dough seems too wet, incorporate some more breading.

By hand, form the mixture into oval shapes slightly larger than a walnut shell but smaller than an egg, and set them on a tray topped with baking paper. Wrap and cool for at least one hour.

In a large frying pan over medium flame, warm oil to a depth of about 1cm. Brown the fritters a small batch for two to three minutes each side, rotating so they are crispy all over, then put on absorbent paper.

Offer with lemon wedges.

Lentil Patties

With their crispy exterior and moist center, these patties are not only tasty but also a highly nutritious snack or meal.

Makes 12

• 45g dried brown lentils (¼ cup)
• 90g bulgur wheat (half a cup)
• 125ml oil (½ cup)
• 1 yellow onion, chopped small
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• 1 tbsp fresh mint, chopped
• 1 tbsp flat-leaf parsley, minced
• 1 fresh egg
• Seasoning, to preference
• Yogurt and lemon slices, to serve

Put the lentils in a pan and fill with ample cold water. Simmer over a moderate heat for about 20 minutes or until almost cooked, adding extra liquid to maintain the lentils immersed if necessary.

Add the cracked wheat and continue cooking until tender. Remove the water from the mixture completely and set aside in a mixing bowl.

Preheat 50% of the