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Keftedes me Prassa

Small pan-fried fritters, typically referred to as keftedes, are a treasured signature dish in Jewish cooking. These wonderful leek fritters offer a flavorful combination of savory ground beef with the subtle, sweetly mild essence of fresh leeks, rendering them absolutely crave-worthy.

Produces 12

• 4 leeks
• 250g minced beef meat
• 2 fresh eggs
• 1 tbsp matzo meal
• 1 tbsp chopped dill, diced
• 1 tbsp parsley, diced
• ½ tsp sweet paprika
• Oil, for pan-frying
• Lemon slices, to accompany

Clean the fresh leeks carefully and cut away the base and the bulk of the dark green parts. Slice into halves lengthways then into half-inch pieces. Put in a deep pan and fill with cold water, then heat over a medium flame for about 20 minutes or until cooked through.

Remove the water from the cooked leeks and place in a mixing bowl with the beef, eggs, breadcrumbs, fresh dill, parsley and sweet paprika and spice generously with seasoning. Combine completely using your fingers then mold a several spoonfuls into a croquette, pressing a bit. Place on a plate and proceed for the remaining of the preparation.

Preheat olive oil in a skillet to a level of about ¾ inch over a moderate heat. When the heated oil is hot, cook the fritters in small batches until golden brown on all sides. (Do not fill the skillet as this reduces the heat of the oil.) Transfer the finished patties to a dish topped with paper towel and let to cool.

Present with lemon wedges.

Spinach Patties

These spinach with cheese patties are a genuine pleasure. The crispy crust gives way to a soft filling. The fresh spinach brings a vibrant, somewhat earthy flavor, while the grated cheese offers a savory, umami smoothness. It's possible to replace the cheese with boiled, crushed spuds if you like.

Yields 16–18

• 1kg fresh spinach (or else about 500g frozen leaf spinach, defrosted for several hours in the refrigerator)
• 3 tbsp oil
• 1 yellow onion, diced small
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 100g kefalotyri, grated finely
• 80g creamy ricotta
• ½ tsp nutmeg spice
• ½ tsp sweet paprika
• 120g breadcrumbs (1¼ cups), with more if needed
• 3 eggs
• Olive oil for deep-frying (or sunflower oil)
• Fresh lemon, to garnish

When using leafy greens, clean it well, getting rid of any hard stems, and roughly chop it into large chunks. Place in a large saucepan with a small amount liquid over a medium heat. Once cooked, strain in a strainer for about 15 minutes, then remove any extra water and set aside.

For thawed frozen spinach, completely remove unwanted moisture.

Preheat the oil in a pan over a moderate heat and fry the onion and minced garlic until tender, about 4 minutes. Take off the flame.

Place the prepared spinach, fried onion and sauteed garlic, grated cheese, ricotta, grated nutmeg, sweet paprika, breadcrumbs and beaten eggs in a large bowl and season with pepper and salt. Combine well until combined. If the preparation looks too soft, mix in some more crumbs.

By hand, mold the preparation into oval croquettes a bit bigger than a walnut but less bulky than an large egg, and place them on a tray lined with baking paper. Seal and refrigerate for at least one hour.

In a wide pan over medium heat, preheat cooking oil to a level of about half an inch. Brown the croquettes a handful for a couple of minutes per side, turning so they are crispy everywhere, then transfer on absorbent paper.

Present with lemon slices.

Lentil Croquettes

Boasting a golden crust and moist center, these fritters are not only flavorful but also a wonderfully nutritious appetizer or main course.

Produces 12

• 45g dry lentils (0.25 cup)
• 90g cracked wheat (0.5 cup)
• 125ml olive oil (½ cup)
• 1 large onion, finely diced
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tbsp chopped mint, diced
• 1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
• 1 egg
• Pepper and salt, to taste
• Creamy yogurt and fresh lemon, to serve

Add the brown lentils in a pot and cover with enough water. Boil over a moderate heat for about 20 minutes or until almost cooked, pouring more water to ensure the legumes submerged if required.

Add the burghul and keep cooking until softened. Strain the mixture well and set aside in a mixing bowl.

Warm half of the