Every dinner deserves to precede a rich, homemade dessert like these pots de crème. The fearlessly French sweet custard comes with a twist on top: meringue dusted with Old Bay. The blend of black pepper, celery salt, paprika, and other herbs and spices makes for a surprisingly pleasant and unexpected finish.

To make the custard

1. Combine heavy cream, milk, 5 tablespoons sugar, and vanilla bean paste into a medium pot. Bring mixture to a slow simmer, stirring constantly, about 3 minutes.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together egg yolks and remaining 4 tablespoons of sugar. Once the cream mixture is at a slow simmer, slowly mix into bowl with yolks. Place mixture back into pot and cook on low heat for 2 minutes.
3. Roughly chop chocolate and add to a medium bowl. Strain the warm custard through a fine mesh strainer directly into the chocolate. Whisk until chocolate is fully melted and mixture is smooth. Add about 1/2 cup of custard to each of 6 teacups or ramekins.
4. Preheat oven to 300F. Place ramekins in a roasting pan. Fill pan with warm water 1/3 of the way up the sides of the ramekins. Carefully transfer roasting pan to oven and bake for 40-45 minutes, until the custard is set but jiggles slightly in the middle. Remove the ramekins from the water and place on a cooling rack. Let cool completely, then cover and refrigerate at least three hours.

To make the meringue

1. Add egg whites to the bowl of a stand mixer and beat on high for about 4 minutes, until the egg whites double in size and become opaque. With the speed still on high, pour in the sugar and beat until glossy, slightly firm peaks form, about 5 minutes.
2. Transfer meringue to a piping back with a star tip. Remove custard from refrigerator and pipe meringue over the surface. Dust each pot-de-crème with a small pinch of Old Bay spice blend, then serve immediately.