Delight in These Triple Greek Keftedes Recipes

Leek Patties

Petite fried fritters, often referred to as keftedes, represent a treasured delicacy in Sephardic cooking. These leek croquettes deliver a flavorful blend of rich ground beef with the delicate, mildly sweet essence of leeks, making them absolutely crave-worthy.

Makes 12

• 4 leeks
• 250g ground beef meat
• 2 fresh eggs
• 1 tbsp dry breadcrumbs
• 1 tbsp fresh dill, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp fresh parsley, diced
• ½ tsp sweet paprika
• Olive oil, for frying
• Lemon wedges, to serve

Clean the fresh leeks well and trim off the roots and the majority of the green stalk. Cut in half along the length then into 1.5-centimeter rounds. Transfer in a deep frying pan and submerge with fresh water, then cook over a medium heat for about 20 mins or until cooked through.

Remove the water from the cooked leeks and put in a mixing bowl with the ground beef, eggs, matzo meal, fresh dill, flat-leaf parsley and spice and season well with pepper and salt. Mix thoroughly using your hands then shape a few tablespoonfuls into a croquette, shaping a little. Put on a plate and proceed for the remaining of the preparation.

Preheat oil in a skillet to a level of about ¾ inch over a moderate heat. When the oil is ready, fry the croquettes in small batches until golden brown on each side. (Do not fill the skillet as this drops the temperature of the oil.) Transfer the ready croquettes to a dish lined with paper towel and let to cool.

Serve with lemon slices.

Spinach Patties

These spinach and cheese patties are a true pleasure. The golden exterior gives way to a soft interior. The spinach adds a fresh, moderately natural note, while the cheese gives a rich, umami smoothness. It's possible to replace the cheesy element with boiled, pureed potato if you like.

Makes 16–18

• 1kg spinach leaves (or else about 500g iced spinach, defrosted in the fridge in the cooler)
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, minced
• 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
• 100g hard cheese, grated finely
• 80g creamy ricotta
• ½ tsp fresh nutmeg
• ½ tsp sweet paprika
• 120g crumbs (1 and ¼ cups), with more if needed
• 3 large eggs
• Oil for deep-frying (or alternatively vegetable oil)
• Fresh lemon, to garnish

If using fresh spinach, wash it carefully, discarding any hard stems, and coarsely chop it into large chunks. Place in a big pot with a small amount water over a moderate heat. Once cooked, strain in a sieve for about 15 minutes, then press out any excess liquid and reserve.

When working with thawed frozen spinach, completely squeeze out excess liquid.

Warm the olive oil in a frying pan over a medium flame and cook the onion and garlic until softened, about 4 minutes. Turn off the stove.

Place the prepared spinach, sauteed onion and softened garlic, hard cheese, ricotta, grated nutmeg, paprika, breadcrumbs and beaten eggs in a big mixing bowl and flavor with seasoning. Mix completely until blended. If the mixture looks too wet, add some additional crumbs.

By hand, mold the dough into oval croquettes somewhat larger than a nut but less bulky than an chicken egg, and set them on a tray covered with baking paper. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

In a big skillet over medium heat, preheat oil to a amount of about 1cm. Cook the croquettes a small batch for two to three minutes each side, flipping so they are golden everywhere, then put on kitchen roll.

Offer with fresh lemon.

Lentil Patties

With their crispy exterior and moist center, these patties are not only flavorful but also a highly wholesome appetizer or main course.

Produces 12

• 45g brown lentils (¼ cup)
• 90g burghul (½ cup)
• 125ml olive oil (½ cup)
• 1 large onion, finely diced
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tbsp mint leaves, diced
• 1 tbsp parsley, minced
• 1 egg
• Seasoning, to liking
• Greek yoghurt and lemon wedges, to garnish

Put the dry lentils in a pan and cover with enough water. Cook over a medium heat for about 20 mins or until nearly done, including extra liquid to maintain the pulses immersed if required.

Mix in the bulgur wheat and proceed cooking until tender. Strain the lentils and burghul thoroughly and reserve in a mixing bowl.

Heat 50% of the