Crab Imperial (MD)

Preheat your oven to 200°C (400°F) with a rack positioned in the middle. Gently pick through 450g of jumbo lump crab meat in a large glass bowl to remove any tiny shell fragments, taking extreme care not to break apart the delicate crab lumps. Set the picked crab aside.

In a separate medium mixing bowl, whisk together 120ml full-fat mayonnaise, 1 beaten large egg, 1 tbsp Dijon mustard, 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce, 1 tbsp dry sherry, 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice, 2 tsp Old Bay Seasoning, 1/2 tsp kosher salt, 2 tbsp finely diced celery, and 2 tbsp finely diced red bell pepper until completely smooth, with no streaks of unincorporated egg or mustard.

Add the picked crab meat to the bowl of sauce, using a flexible rubber spatula to fold very slowly and gently for 30 to 45 seconds, just until every piece of crab is lightly coated in sauce. Do not overmix, as this will shatter the crab lumps and create a mushy, paste-like texture.

Evenly divide the crab mixture between four 180ml (6 oz) lightly buttered ceramic ramekins, mounding the mixture slightly at the top instead of pressing it down firmly, to preserve the light, fluffy texture. Set the filled ramekins on a rimmed metal baking sheet for easy transfer to the oven.

In a small bowl, toss 40g panko breadcrumbs with 28g melted unsalted butter and the remaining 1 tsp of Old Bay Seasoning until every crumb is evenly coated in butter and spice. Sprinkle the crumb mixture in a thin, even layer over the top of each filled ramekin.

Bake the ramekins on the middle oven rack for 18 to 20 minutes, until the crumb topping is deep golden brown and the crab mixture is bubbling gently around the ramekin edges. Remove from the oven, let rest for 5 minutes at room temperature, then garnish with 1 tbsp chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley before serving.