Enjoy These Tasty Triple Greek Croquette Recipes

Leek Croquettes

Small fried croquettes, commonly known as keftedes, represent a treasured delicacy in Sephardic cuisine. These particular leek fritters offer a delicious blend of hearty ground beef with the delicate, mildly sweet flavour of leeks, making them utterly addictive.

Produces 12

• 4 large leeks
• 250g minced beef
• 2 eggs
• 1 tbsp breadcrumbs
• 1 tbsp dill, minced
• 1 tbsp flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
• ½ tsp sweet paprika
• Oil, for cooking
• Lemon wedges, to accompany

Thoroughly wash the green leeks properly and cut away the base and the majority of the green stalk. Chop in half longways then into half-inch slices. Transfer in a deep frying pan and cover with cold water, then simmer over a medium heat for about 20 minutes or until softened.

Strain the softened leeks and place in a large mixing bowl with the beef, eggs, breadcrumbs, chopped dill, parsley and sweet paprika and spice liberally with pepper and salt. Mix thoroughly using your fingers then form a few spoonfuls into a patty, pressing a bit. Place on a tray and repeat for the remaining of the ingredients.

Heat oil in a skillet to a level of about ¾ inch over a moderate heat. When the olive oil is sizzling, cook the croquettes in batches until golden brown on both sides. (Avoid overcrowding the skillet as this reduces the heat of the oil.) Transfer the cooked croquettes to a dish covered with absorbent paper and let to drain.

Serve with lemon wedges.

Spinach Patties

These amazing spinach with cheese croquettes are a true delight. The golden outside gives way to a soft center. The spinach adds a fresh, slightly natural flavor, while the cheese offers a deep, flavorful smoothness. Feel free to swap the cheesy element with steamed, mashed potato if you prefer.

Makes 16–18

• 1kg baby spinach (or else about 500g iced spinach, defrosted in the fridge in the refrigerator)
• 3 tbsp oil
• 1 large onion, diced small
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 100g hard cheese, grated
• 80g soft cheese
• ½ tsp grated nutmeg
• ½ tsp sweet paprika
• 120g breadcrumbs (1 and ¼ cups), additional if necessary
• 3 eggs
• Olive oil for deep-frying (or neutral oil)
• Lemon slices, to accompany

If using fresh spinach, clean it well, getting rid of any stalks, and roughly chop it into sizable portions. Transfer in a deep pan with a bit of liquid over a moderate heat. Once cooked, strain in a strainer for about 15 mins, then press out any remaining moisture and set aside.

If using defrosted spinach, carefully remove excess liquid.

Preheat the oil in a skillet over a medium heat and saute the onion and garlic cloves until softened, about four minutes. Turn off the heat.

Put the cooked spinach, sauteed onion and sauteed garlic, kefalotyri, ricotta, nutmeg, sweet paprika, breading and eggs in a container and flavor with salt and pepper. Stir well until incorporated. If the mixture appears too soft, incorporate some extra breadcrumbs.

With your fingers, shape the preparation into oval shapes slightly larger than a walnut but less bulky than an egg, and set them on a tray lined with baking paper. Wrap and refrigerate for at least 60 minutes.

In a wide pan over medium heat, heat oil to a depth of about 1 centimeter. Brown the patties a small batch for a couple of minutes each side, rotating so they are golden brown completely, then transfer on kitchen roll.

Serve with lemon wedges.

Kroketes Fakes

Boasting a crispy exterior and tender interior, these croquettes are not only tasty but also a wonderfully wholesome snack or dish.

Makes 12

• 45g brown lentils (one-quarter cup)
• 90g burghul (0.5 cup)
• 125ml olive oil (0.5 cup)
• 1 yellow onion, chopped small
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tbsp mint leaves, minced
• 1 tbsp fresh parsley, diced
• 1 large egg
• Salt and pepper, to preference
• Yogurt and lemon slices, to accompany

Place the brown lentils in a pot and fill with enough water. Simmer over a medium flame for about 20 minutes or until almost cooked, pouring more water to ensure the legumes submerged if required.

Mix in the cracked wheat and continue cooking until fully cooked. Remove the water from the ingredients completely and put aside in a mixing bowl.

Heat half of the