Golden Crab Cakes with Paprika-Lemon Mayonnaise

Mix the Crab Base. Whisk the mayonnaise, egg, lemon juice and zest, mustard powder, paprika, cayenne, salt and pepper together in a large bowl until smooth. Fold in the crab meat, spring onions, parsley and the 50g of panko with a spatula, working gently so some lumps of crab stay whole. Keeping larger pieces intact gives the cakes a chunkier, more satisfying texture rather than a smooth paste.

Shape and Chill. Divide the mixture into 8 portions and shape each into a cake about 7cm across and 2cm thick on a lined tray. Cover and chill for at least 30 minutes, up to 8 hours. As they rest, the crumbs soak up excess moisture and the fat firms up, which is what stops the cakes falling apart in the hot pan.

Make the Sauce. Stir together the mayonnaise, ketchup, lemon juice and paprika in a small bowl and chill until ready to serve. This gives the paprika a little time to mellow into the mayonnaise.

Coat the Cakes. Heat the oven to 200°C (fan 180°C), then tip the coating panko into a shallow dish and press each chilled cake into the crumbs on both sides and round the edge. An even, firm crumb coat is what gives the finished cake its crisp shell once fried.

Fry Until Golden. Heat 1.5 tbsp oil in the frying pan over medium heat and fry four cakes for 3 minutes per side, turning gently once with the fish slice, until deep golden all over. Move them to a baking tray and repeat with the remaining oil and cakes. Frying first builds the crisp, browned crust that baking alone wouldn't achieve.

Finish in the Oven. Bake all the cakes for 6-8 minutes until a probe inserted into the centre of a cake reads at least 71°C, since the mixture contains raw egg and needs this higher heat to be safe. Finishing in the oven cooks the centre through fully without burning the outside any further.

Serve Warm. Serve two cakes per person with the paprika-lemon mayonnaise and lemon wedges alongside. A squeeze of fresh lemon over the top lifts the richness of both the cake and the sauce.