Beat egg whites and salt on high speed in a mixer until they are foamy and have tripled in volume. Gradually add the sugar and continue to beat until egg whites are very white, glossy and form stiff peaks. Rub a bit of the egg white mixture between your thumb and forefinger to test if all the sugar has been dissolved. If it feels grainy, then whip them a little longer. The mixture should feel smooth.
Take a piece of parchment paper large enough to cover a flat baking sheet and flip it over. Trace six 3 ½” to 4” circles in pencil on the back side. Flip parchment back over and you should be able to see the circle though the paper. Spoon 1/6th of the mixture onto each circle. With the back of a large spoon push the mixture to fill circles and form an indentation in the middle of each circle.
Bake meringues in the oven for 1 hour and then turn the heat off leaving the meringues in the oven to dry out for another hour. Let them cool completely and peel off the parchment paper.
Candied Almonds
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Combine almonds, sugar and salt in a medium bowl. Add egg whites and stir well to dissolve sugar and completely coat nuts. Transfer mixture to a baking sheet lined with buttered parchment paper or a Silpat mat. Spread mixture into an even layer.
Bake for 15 minutes or until nuts are toasty brown. Let cool and then break nuts up into pieces. Can be made 3 days ahead and kept in an airtight container.
Lemon Curd
Place egg yolks, salt, sugar and lemon juice in a heavy, medium-sized saucepan. Whisk together. Cook over lowest heat stirring constantly with a spoon until the mixture is thick and heavily coats the back of the spoon - about 10 minutes. Take off heat and stir in butter until completely melted.
Pour mixture through a strainer into a glass or ceramic bowl. Stir in the lemon peel. Place a piece of cling wrap on the curd to prevent a skin from forming and put in refrigerator to cool completely. Can be made a day ahead and kept in the refrigerator.
To assemble - spoon 1/6th of the lemon curd into each meringue and top with nuts. You will probably have some nuts left over but they are great to munch on or add to salads.
Notes
Since this recipe uses eggs and sugar throughout, I suggest using high-quality ingredients for those, like pasture-raised eggs (I use Nature's Yoke) and organic, ethically-sourced sugar. And of course, use real, fresh lemon juice!