make the meringue with a hot sugar syrup (what the professionals call italian-style meringue). this ensures that the meringue is cooked through and stable enough to be piled high on top of the filling. the addition of a little cream of tartar to the egg whites while mixing also helps to stabilize the meringue.flavor the filling with both
lemon zest and lemon juice for the brightest citrus flavor. remember to strain the filling to remove the
zest , which would mar the otherwise silky smooth filling.use a rubber spatula to spread the meringue over the filled pie,
making sure to stick the meringue to the edge of the pie crust to prevent the topping from shrinking. once all the meringue is on the pie, use the spatula to make the spikes and peaks of
meringue.