A gooey, cheesy version of traditional Sephardic leek patties with the bite of horseradish. Thanks to Cabot Creamery Co-operative for sponsoring this Rosh Hashanah recipe.
A few years ago, I published a recipe for keftes de prasa or leek fritters. These latke-like vegetable pancakes are beloved throughout the Sephardic world – in places like Turkey, Greece and Romania – especially for the High Holidays. With Rosh Hashanah only a few weeks away, I am updating that earlier recipe to include cheese. Cheesy leek fritters – why didn’t I think of this before?
Leeks – which are members of the allium family – are milder than onions and when sautéed on the stove, they become even milder and almost sweet. So a cheese with a little bite to it is just what you need to offset that mild sweetness. Any sharp cheese, such as an extra-sharp cheddar, would work well.
But for my cheesy leek fritters, I went a step further and used Cabot Horseradish Cheddar Cheese. This cheese is Cabot’s creamiest, making it perfect for melting into epic, ooey-gooey cheese pulls. And the mouth-tingling flavor of the horseradish takes these fritters to a whole new level. Horseradish is an ingredient usually associated with Passover, so it is especially fun and unexpected to include it into a Rosh Hashanah dish.
When I shop for cheese, I always look for the Cabot label. Not only does Cabot make the best-tasting cheddar in the world, it is a company that shares my values. A certified B Corporation, Cabot Cheese is a co-operative owned by farm families throughout New England & New York. That means that 100% of profits go back to the farmers. Whether you prefer the Seriously Sharp or the New York Extra Sharp – my favorite – all Cabot cheddars are naturally aged and lactose-free. Thank gooddness for that because every Jewish family I know has at least one member who is sensitive to lactose!
If you do not come from a Sephardic family, you may wonder about the origin of the tradition of eating leek fritters for Rosh Hashanah. For one thing, leeks are in season in the fall, which is when Rosh Hashanah happens. But also it’s because leeks are a symbolic food for the start of the new year. The word for leek in Hebrew is related to the word kareyt, which means “to cut.” Prior to eating leeks on Rosh Hashanah, Sephardic Jews recite a special prayer that those who wish to hurt them will be “cut down” instead. Interesting, no? So many Rosh Hashanah culinary traditions stem from this type of play on words, which I find fascinating.
This year, in light of the pandemic, Rosh Hashanah will look different than in years past. I will not be hosting a big holiday dinner this year, as I usually do, because of social distancing, nor will we attend religious services in person. But my family will do our best to experience the joy of Rosh Hashanah – the start of a new year after all – from our home.
In some ways, without the ability to gather together as a community, it seems more important than ever to observe those holiday traditions that we can, such a making special holiday dinner, sending new year’s greetings to friends and family or even just eating apples and honey to express our wish that the coming year be a sweet one. Even if it is just the four of us, my family will certainly have a special Rosh Hashanah dinner this year with all of our holiday favorites, starting with these not-so-traditional leek patties.
Best wishes for a joyful and safe Rosh Hashanah celebration in these especially difficult times.
Ingredients
- 6 leeks, white and green parts only, halved and sliced thinly
- 3 TB extra virgin olive oil
- 2 eggs beaten
- 1/2 cup dry bread crumbs, such as Panko
- 8 oz Cabot Horseradish Cheddar Cheese, grated
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1/4 cup neutral oil with high smoke point from frying, such as canola or grapeseed
- Lemon wedges for serving
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large, deep skillet over medium heat.
- Sauté the sliced leeks until softened, about ten minutes, but do not allow them to brown. Adjust heat as necessary. Season well with salt and pepper.
- Place softened leeks in a large bowl. Add beaten egg, bread crumbs, and grated cheese and stir with a fork to combine.
- Heat oil for frying in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Preheat oven to 250.
- When oil is shimmering, but not smoking, form golf ball-sized balls of batter with damp hands and drop them, three or four at a time, in the skillet and flatten slightly with a spatula.
- Cook fritters until browned on first side, 1-2 minutes and carefully turn them over and cook on second side, another 1-2 minutes until browned. Remove to a paper towel-lined plate to drain.
- Repeat with remaining batter, adding more oil to the skillet as necessary. Keep cooked fritters warm in the oven until all the batter is cooked.
- Serve with lemon wedges for squeezing.
- Fritters can be made in advance and chilled until needed. Reheat in a 400 degree oven prior to serving.
Full disclosure time: Cabot Creamery Co-operative sponsored this post and I received compensation for my work. All opinions expressed herein are entirely my own.
