Delight in These Tasty 3 Greek Croquette Recipes

Leek Patties

Small pan-fried croquettes, often called keftedes, stand as a cherished delicacy in Sephardic Jewish cooking. These wonderful leek patties present a delicious blend of savory minced beef with the delicate, mildly sweet essence of fresh leeks, rendering them truly irresistible.

Produces 12

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

Clean the leeks properly and trim off the base and the majority of the green tops. Cut in half lengthways then into 1.5-centimeter rounds. Transfer in a deep pan and cover with water, then heat over a moderate heat for about 20 mins or until tender.

Strain the cooked leeks and transfer in a mixing bowl with the minced beef, eggs, breadcrumbs, dill, chopped parsley and paprika and spice well with pepper and salt. Combine well using your palms then shape a few scoops into a croquette, shaping a bit. Set on a tray and repeat for the rest of the ingredients.

Heat olive oil in a skillet to a depth of about 2cm over a medium heat. When the heated oil is ready, cook the croquettes in batches until golden on all sides. (Don't overcrowd the skillet as this reduces the oil temperature of the oil.) Take out the ready patties to a dish covered with paper towel and let to cool.

Offer with lemon wedges.

Spinach Patties

These spinach with cheese croquettes are a real pleasure. The crunchy outside opens up to a creamy filling. The leafy spinach adds a vibrant, slightly natural note, while the grated cheese gives a savory, savory richness. It's possible to replace the dairy cheese with steamed, mashed spuds if you like.

Produces 16–18

• 1kg fresh spinach (alternatively about 500g frozen spinach, thawed in the fridge in the cooler)
• 3 tbsp oil
• 1 onion, minced
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 100g kefalotyri, shredded
• 80g creamy ricotta
• ½ tsp fresh nutmeg
• ½ tsp sweet paprika
• 120g breadcrumbs (1 and ¼ cups), additional if necessary
• 3 fresh eggs
• Oil for frying (or use sunflower oil)
• Lemon slices, to garnish

For leafy greens, rinse it well, discarding any tough stems, and roughly chop it into large chunks. Put in a large saucepan with a little hot water over a medium heat. Once softened, remove in a strainer for about 15 minutes, then press out any extra water and set aside.

When working with defrosted spinach, completely squeeze out excess liquid.

Warm the olive oil in a pan over a medium heat and fry the diced onion and garlic until translucent, about 4 minutes. Take off the stove.

Put the wilted spinach, sauteed onion and garlic, grated cheese, creamy cheese, nutmeg, sweet paprika, breadcrumbs and eggs in a large bowl and season with seasoning. Mix completely until combined. If the dough looks too wet, mix in some additional breadcrumbs.

Using your hands, shape the dough into oval croquettes somewhat larger than a nut but smaller than an large egg, and put them on a baking sheet covered with baking paper. Wrap and chill for at least one hour.

In a wide pan over medium heat, warm cooking oil to a amount of about 1cm. Fry the fritters a small batch for two to three minutes each side, turning so they are golden brown all over, then place on absorbent paper.

Present with fresh lemon.

Lentil Patties

Featuring a crunchy outside and soft inside, these patties are not only delicious but also a extremely wholesome appetizer or dish.

Yields 12

• 45g brown lentils (0.25 cup)
• 90g burghul (½ cup)
• 125ml olive oil (half a cup)
• 1 yellow onion, finely diced
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• 1 tbsp chopped mint, chopped
• 1 tbsp parsley, minced
• 1 egg
• Seasoning, to liking
• Greek yoghurt and lemon slices, to garnish

Add the dry lentils in a pan and submerge with plenty of water. Boil over a medium flame for about 20 mins or until almost cooked, including additional water to keep the pulses immersed if required.

Add the bulgur wheat and continue cooking until fully cooked. Drain the lentils and burghul thoroughly and put aside in a mixing bowl.

Heat half of the