Enjoy These Triple Greek Keftedes Dishes

Leek Croquettes

Petite crispy croquettes, often called keftedes, represent a beloved speciality in Sephardic cooking. These leek fritters offer a tasty combination of hearty beef with the gentle, sweetly mild flavour of leeks, making them absolutely crave-worthy.

Yields 12

• 4 large leeks
• 250g minced beef meat
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tbsp matzo meal
• 1 tbsp fresh dill, diced
• 1 tbsp parsley, diced
• ½ tsp sweet paprika
• Extra virgin olive oil, for pan-frying
• Lemon slices, to serve

Clean the fresh leeks carefully and cut away the roots and most of the green tops. Cut into halves lengthways then into 1.5-centimeter slices. Place in a deep frying pan and cover with water, then simmer over a moderate heat for about twenty minutes or until cooked through.

Strain the leeks and place in a large mixing bowl with the ground beef, eggs, crumbs, fresh dill, flat-leaf parsley and paprika and season liberally with pepper and salt. Combine thoroughly using your hands then form a couple of scoops into a croquette, pressing a bit. Place on a platter and proceed for the balance of the mixture.

Heat cooking oil in a pan to a depth of about 2 centimeters over a medium flame. When the olive oil is sizzling, fry the fritters in batches until golden brown on both sides. (Don't overcrowd the frying pan as this drops the heat of the oil.) Take out the cooked patties to a plate topped with absorbent paper and allow to rest.

Present with lemon wedges.

Spinach Croquettes

These delightful cheesy spinach patties are a true pleasure. The crispy outside reveals a creamy interior. The fresh spinach adds a fresh, somewhat green flavor, while the cheese offers a savory, flavorful creaminess. Feel free to swap the dairy cheese with cooked, crushed potato if you like.

Yields 16–18

• 1kg spinach leaves (or about 500g frozen leaf spinach, defrosted for several hours in the cooler)
• 3 tbsp oil
• 1 yellow onion, finely diced
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 100g hard cheese, grated
• 80g soft cheese
• ½ tsp fresh nutmeg
• ½ tsp paprika
• 120g breadcrumbs (1¼ cups), with more if needed
• 3 large eggs
• Olive oil for deep-frying (or sunflower oil)
• Fresh lemon, to garnish

When using leafy greens, clean it thoroughly, getting rid of any stalks, and roughly chop it into sizable portions. Put in a deep pan with a little water over a medium heat. Once wilted, strain in a strainer for about 15 minutes, then remove any excess liquid and reserve.

If using previously frozen spinach, carefully squeeze out excess liquid.

Preheat the cooking oil in a pan over a medium flame and saute the chopped onion and minced garlic until softened, about 4 minutes. Turn off the heat.

Put the cooked spinach, fried onion and sauteed garlic, kefalotyri, soft cheese, nutmeg, red spice, dry crumbs and eggs in a big mixing bowl and season with salt and pepper. Stir well until combined. If the mixture looks too wet, incorporate some additional breading.

By hand, shape the preparation into oval croquettes somewhat larger than a walnut shell but more compact than an large egg, and put them on a plate covered with parchment paper. Seal and chill for at least 60 minutes.

In a big skillet over medium heat, warm cooking oil to a depth of about half an inch. Brown the croquettes a handful for 2–3 minutes each side, rotating so they are golden all over, then put on kitchen roll.

Present with lemon wedges.

Lentil Croquettes

Featuring a crunchy outside and moist center, these patties are not only flavorful but also a wonderfully wholesome appetizer or dish.

Produces 12

• 45g dry lentils (one-quarter cup)
• 90g burghul (0.5 cup)
• 125ml oil (0.5 cup)
• 1 large onion, finely diced
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tbsp mint leaves, diced
• 1 tbsp fresh parsley, diced
• 1 fresh egg
• Seasoning, to taste
• Yogurt and fresh lemon, to accompany

Add the dry lentils in a pan and fill with enough water. Simmer over a medium flame for about twenty minutes or until almost cooked, pouring more water to maintain the lentils submerged if required.

Mix in the bulgur wheat and continue cooking until softened. Remove the water from the ingredients well and set aside in a container.

Preheat 50% of the