First, gather all your ingredients. Chop the celery, hard-boiled eggs, chives, and parsley. If you're using crab meat, check for any shells. You'll want only the tender meat in your salad.

In a large mixing bowl, stir together the crab meat, slivered ham, chilled rice, celery, and chopped eggs. This is where the flavors begin to meld.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the olive oil, red wine vinegar, mayonnaise, salt, pepper, and Dijon mustard (if using). This combination should create a creamy dressing that tastes fresh and zesty.

Pour the dressing over the crab mixture. Gently fold everything together until the salad is coated evenly. You want to maintain the delicate texture of the crab as much as possible.

Sprinkle the chopped herbs on top. Give it a light mix, cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. This allows the flavors to develop.