🔗 Share this article

Keftedes me Prassa

Small pan-fried patties, often referred to as keftedes, represent a beloved signature dish in Sephardic Jewish cooking. These wonderful leek croquettes offer a flavorful blend of savory ground beef with the delicate, mildly sweet taste of fresh leeks, rendering them utterly crave-worthy.

Makes 12

• 4 fresh leeks
• 250g ground beef meat
• 2 eggs
• 1 tbsp matzo meal
• 1 tbsp dill, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp flat-leaf parsley, diced
• ½ tsp paprika
• Olive oil, for frying
• Lemon slices, to serve

Thoroughly wash the fresh leeks well and cut away the root ends and most of the green stalk. Cut into halves along the length then into 1.5cm slices. Transfer in a deep frying pan and fill with fresh water, then heat over a medium heat for about twenty minutes or until softened.

Remove the water from the leeks and transfer in a large mixing bowl with the minced beef, eggs, matzo meal, fresh dill, flat-leaf parsley and spice and flavor liberally with seasoning. Combine thoroughly using your fingers then form a several spoonfuls into a ball, flattening a slightly. Set on a platter and repeat for the rest of the mixture.

Warm olive oil in a pan to a amount of about 2 centimeters over a medium flame. When the olive oil is ready, fry the croquettes in small batches until golden brown on all sides. (Don't overcrowd the frying pan as this reduces the heat of the oil.) Transfer the cooked fritters to a tray lined with absorbent paper and allow to cool.

Serve with lemon wedges.

Spinach Croquettes

These amazing spinach and cheese croquettes are a real delight. The golden outside opens up to a soft interior. The spinach adds a fresh, somewhat green taste, while the cheese offers a deep, flavorful smoothness. It's possible to replace the cheese with boiled, crushed potato if you prefer.

Makes 16–18

• 1kg fresh spinach (alternatively about 500g frozen spinach, defrosted for several hours in the refrigerator)
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, minced
• 2 garlic pieces, finely chopped
• 100g hard cheese, shredded
• 80g creamy ricotta
• ½ tsp fresh nutmeg
• ½ tsp sweet paprika
• 120g dry breadcrumbs (1¼ cups), additional if required
• 3 eggs
• Cooking oil for deep-frying (or use sunflower oil)
• Lemon slices, to garnish

If using leafy greens, rinse it carefully, getting rid of any hard stems, and cut into it into big pieces. Transfer in a large saucepan with a bit of liquid over a moderate heat. Once cooked, drain in a sieve for about 15 minutes, then squeeze out any excess liquid and reserve.

When working with thawed frozen spinach, carefully remove excess liquid.

Heat the cooking oil in a frying pan over a medium flame and cook the onion and minced garlic until tender, about 4 minutes. Remove from the stove.

Combine the cooked spinach, sauteed onion and softened garlic, kefalotyri, creamy cheese, nutmeg, sweet paprika, dry crumbs and eggs in a container and season with pepper and salt. Mix completely until combined. If the mixture appears too loose, mix in some more breadcrumbs.

With your fingers, form the preparation into elongated patties somewhat larger than a nut but more compact than an egg, and put them on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper. Cover and chill for at least 1 hour.

In a wide pan over medium flame, preheat olive oil to a amount of about 1 centimeter. Cook the croquettes a small batch for 2–3 minutes per side, turning so they are crispy completely, then transfer on paper towel.

Offer with fresh lemon.

Kroketes Fakes

Boasting a golden crust and tender interior, these patties are not only flavorful but also a highly nutritious appetizer or dish.

Makes 12

• 45g dried brown lentils (¼ cup)
• 90g cracked wheat (half a cup)
• 125ml extra virgin oil (½ cup)
• 1 onion, finely diced
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tbsp chopped mint, diced
• 1 tbsp flat-leaf parsley, minced
• 1 large egg
• Seasoning, to preference
• Greek yoghurt and fresh lemon, to garnish

Put the brown lentils in a saucepan and fill with plenty of fresh water. Boil over a moderate heat for about 20 minutes or until nearly done, pouring extra liquid to keep the lentils immersed if required.

Mix in the bulgur wheat and continue cooking until tender. Strain the ingredients completely and set aside in a mixing bowl.

Preheat 50% of the