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1
Place oven rack in the center of oven and heat to 375 degrees F.
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2
Combine crushed graham crackers, melted butter, sugar, and salt in a medium bowl and mix well.
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3
Press mixture evenly into a 9-inch metal or ceramic pie plate and bake until lightly browned, about 10 minutes.
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4
Let cool completely on a wire rack.
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5
Combine cornstarch, sugar, egg yolks, and lemon juice in a medium-size heavy saucepan.
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6
Add water and whisk until blended; use a rubber spatula to scrape the sides and bottom of the pan to make sure mixture is well combined.
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7
Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly until mixture comes to a boil.
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8
Boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
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9
Remove from heat, add butter and lemon zest, and stir vigorously until butter is completely melted and ingredients are thoroughly combined.
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10
Pour mixture into graham-cracker crust, cover with a round of waxed paper or parchment paper, and let cool to room temperature.
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11
Combine egg whites and salt in a large, clean bowl and whip with a hand mixer on high speed until soft peaks form.
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12
Gradually add sugar and continue beating until stiff, glossy peaks form.
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13
Remove the paper from pie, and spoon meringue over lemon filling.
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14
Spread meringue with a spatula so that it covers the entire surface of the pie, sealing in filling.
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15
Be sure meringue meets the crust, otherwise it will shrink inward, exposing filling.
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16
Bake until meringue is golden brown, about 10 minutes.
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17
Let cool to room temperature on a wire rack, then refrigerate until filling is cold, at least 4 hours.
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18
Slice, and serve chilled.
