Across:
8 Dean leaves broad beans (‘Dean’ leaves ‘broad beans’ = broabs = ABSORB) to soak (ABSORB),
9 State (MARYLAND) of crumbly soil (MAR-L-) around yard (-Y-) and grounds (land) – remove the top (l) (‘land’ without ‘l’ = -AND) (MARYLAND),
10 Sides of beautiful brill (sides of ‘BEautiful briLL’ = BELL) produced for lunch we hear (lunch BELL),
11 Basic quality (ENTRY-LEVEL) of flat (-LEVEL) beyond (= positional indicator) the doorway (ENTRY-) (ENTRY-LEVEL),
12 Celebrities have no beers (‘celebrities’ have no ‘beers’ = celiti = ELICIT) to bring out (ELICIT),
14 Hothead (‘Hot’ head = H-) is either (either = -ERE-ITH) crazy (= anagram indicator) about women (-W-) (HEREWITH) or with this letter …? (HEREWITH),
15 Most of 25 across (most of ‘chickens’ = CHICKEN) and 9 across (‘Maryland’ = MARYLAND) (CHICKEN MARYLAND) on the menu in The Restaurant (CHICKEN MARYLAND),
18 Got a name (LABELLED) as the young man (the = LA-D) who rang the beauty of the ball (beauty of the ball = -BELLE- of the ball) (LABELLED),
20 Support (ASSIST) for musician (bassist) needing no introduction (b) (‘bassist’ without ‘b’ = ASSIST),
22 Whales (orcas) raised (= reversal indicator) (orcas = SACRO-) on the endless beach (sand) (‘sand’ without ‘d’ = SAN-) close to Connecticut (-CT) (SACROSANCT) too important to be interfered with (SACROSANCT),
24 Disciple releases disc (‘disciple’ releases ‘disc’ = iple = PILE) collection (PILE),
25 Model (= anagram indicator) checks-in (checks in = CHICKENS) for The Hens (CHICKENS),
26 An issue (an issue/periodical = VOLUME) raised on the radio (VOLUME).
Down:
1 Come down the mountain (ABSEIL) with braking system (Anti-lock Braking System = ABS-) and tell the tale (lie) in retrospect (= reversal indicator) (lie = -EIL) (ABSEIL),
2 Serving up (= reversal indicator) a sample of vindaloo curry (a sample of vindaLOO Curry’ = looc = COOL) that’s trendy (COOL),
3 A follower (a follower = -B-) in Senate (senate = A-SENTE-) working (= anagram indicator) for leading economist (leading ‘Economist’ = -E) (ABSENTEE) – the one that’s not present (ABSENTEE),
4 Forget (OMIT) extract from sanctimonious (extract from ‘sancTIMOnious’ = timo) review (= reversal indicator) (timo = OMIT),
5 Organises publicity (PR-) for New (= anagram indicator) Year (year = -AYER) (PRAYER) appeal (PRAYER),
6 Travels at night (SLEEPWALKS) with revolutionary? (= reversal indicator) Takes off (peels = SLEEP-) and follows a path! (-WALKS) (SLEEPWALKS),
7 Engineer (-E-) consumed by butane (butane = UNB-ATE-) explosion (= anagram indicator) (butane = UNB-ATE-) is not the first (‘Not’ the first = -N) (UNBEATEN) to not have found a match (UNBEATEN),
13 Yard (-Y-) in front of (= position indicator) college (-C-) accommodation (-LET-) in narrow space (crack = C-RACK) (CYCLE TRACK) has lane for those with bikes (CYCLE TRACK),
14 There’s no sin in Hinduism (there’s no ‘sin’ in ‘Hinduism’ = hidum = HUMID) for what’s steamy (HUMID),
16 Part of the body (HEAD-) with a (-A-) revolutionary (-CHE) (HEADACHE) pain at the top (HEADACHE),
17 Is capable of responding to (REACTIVE) creative (creative) movement (= anagram indicator) (creative = REACTIVE),
19 Pay attention to (LISTEN) place (lie = LI-E-) across street (-ST-) – it’s new (-N) (LISTEN),
21 Noel’s (noels) doctor (= anagram indicator) (noels = SOLE-N) rings Mike (-M-) (SOLEMN) – it’s grave (SOLEMN),
23 Nothing is easy for the banks (‘NOthing is eaSY’ for the banks = NOSY) taking a greater than normal interest (NOSY),
24 Underhand type (PALM) of characters in Oedipal mystery (characters in “oediPAL Mystery” = PALM).