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Leek Patties

Petite crispy fritters, often referred to as keftedes, stand as a beloved delicacy in Sephardic Jewish cuisine. These leek fritters present a delicious blend of hearty ground beef with the subtle, sweetly mild flavour of tender leeks, rendering them absolutely crave-worthy.

Yields 12

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

Clean the fresh leeks carefully and remove the root ends and the bulk of the dark green parts. Cut into halves along the length then into 1.5cm pieces. Put in a deep pan and fill with cold water, then heat over a medium heat for about twenty minutes or until cooked through.

Drain the cooked leeks and transfer in a big bowl with the ground beef, eggs, breadcrumbs, dill, chopped parsley and paprika and spice generously with pepper and salt. Combine completely using your palms then shape a several tablespoonfuls into a ball, shaping a little. Place on a plate and repeat for the remaining of the preparation.

Warm cooking oil in a frying pan to a level of about 2cm over a moderate heat. When the heated oil is ready, cook the croquettes in batches until golden brown on both sides. (Don't overcrowd the pan as this lowers the heat of the cooking oil.) Take out the cooked croquettes to a tray topped with kitchen paper and allow to drain.

Serve with lemon slices.

Keftes de Espinacha

These amazing cheesy spinach patties are a real treat. The crispy crust gives way to a soft filling. The spinach brings a fresh, slightly natural flavor, while the cheese provides a deep, savory smoothness. It's possible to replace the cheese with steamed, crushed potato if you wish.

Produces 16–18

• 1kg spinach leaves (or else about 500g frozen leaf spinach, thawed for several hours in the cooler)
• 3 tbsp extra virgin oil
• 1 yellow onion, finely diced
• 2 cloves of garlic, crushed
• 100g kefalotyri, grated
• 80g creamy ricotta
• ½ tsp grated nutmeg
• ½ tsp mild spice
• 120g breadcrumbs (1 and ¼ cups), plus extra if necessary
• 3 large eggs
• Oil for pan-frying (or vegetable oil)
• Lemon slices, to garnish

For fresh spinach, clean it carefully, removing any hard stems, and cut into it into big pieces. Put in a large saucepan with a bit of water over a medium flame. Once wilted, remove in a sieve for about a quarter hour, then remove any extra water and set aside.

If using thawed frozen spinach, thoroughly press out excess liquid.

Preheat the cooking oil in a skillet over a medium heat and cook the diced onion and garlic until tender, about 4 minutes. Take off the stove.

Combine the cooked spinach, sauteed onion and garlic, kefalotyri, creamy cheese, nutmeg, red spice, breadcrumbs and eggs in a big mixing bowl and season with pepper and salt. Combine thoroughly until combined. If the preparation appears too soft, mix in some additional crumbs.

Using your hands, shape the preparation into oval shapes somewhat larger than a walnut shell but smaller than an egg, and set them on a tray topped with wax paper. Seal and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

In a big skillet over medium flame, warm oil to a amount of about half an inch. Brown the croquettes a handful for 2–3 minutes each side, turning so they are crispy completely, then put on kitchen roll.

Offer with lemon wedges.

Lentil Patties

With their crunchy outside and moist center, these fritters are not only delicious but also a wonderfully wholesome appetizer or dish.

Produces 12

• 45g brown lentils (one-quarter cup)
• 90g bulgur wheat (½ cup)
• 125ml oil (0.5 cup)
• 1 yellow onion, minced
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tbsp fresh mint, minced
• 1 tbsp fresh parsley, minced
• 1 fresh egg
• Seasoning, to preference
• Greek yoghurt and fresh lemon, to accompany

Place the dry lentils in a pan and fill with ample water. Simmer over a moderate heat for about 20 minutes or until partially softened, including more water to keep the legumes submerged if necessary.

Mix in the bulgur wheat and continue cooking until tender. Drain the lentils and burghul completely and reserve in a bowl.

Warm half of the