Instructions: Using a paring knife, trim tip end from a lemon so fruit sits level. Cut stem end one-quarter down lemon (or cut in a decorative pattern). Repeat process with 7 more lemons.

Hold a cut and trimmed lemon over a sieve set over a liquid-measuring cup. Using a reamer, squeeze juice, and set aside; then scoop out flesh with a spoon (do not puncture lemon skin), and discard. Repeat with remaining cut lemons. Measure 1/4 cup juice, and set aside. Reserve remaining juice for another use. Cover lemon shells with plastic wrap and refrigerate. With a grater, remove zest from 1/2 of the remaining lemon; cover zest with plastic, and set aside.

Place egg yolks, 1/4 cup lemon juice, and 6 tablespoons sugar in a small heavy saucepan. Whisk to combine. Set over medium heat; stir constantly with a wooden spoon, making sure to stir sides and edges of the saucepan. Cook until mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon, 3 to 5 minutes.

Remove saucepan from heat. Pass mixture through a fine sieve set over a medium bowl. Add butter, one piece at a time, stirring with a wooden spoon until smooth. Stir in reserved lemon zest. Place plastic wrap directly on the surface to prevent a skin from forming, and chill until firm, at least 1 hour.

In a medium bowl with a handheld electric mixer, whip cream to stiff peaks. Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate. Clean the whisk attachments. In a second medium bowl, with a handheld electric mixer, whip egg whites and a pinch of salt to soft peaks. Sprinkle in remaining 2 tablespoons sugar, and continue whipping until stiff glossy peaks form. Set aside.

Remove lemon curd and whipped cream from refrigerator. Stir 1/4 of whipped cream into curd to lighten the curd. With a large rubber spatula, gently but thoroughly fold in remaining whipped cream. Fold in whipped egg whites.

Remove lemon shells from refrigerator. Transfer mousse to a medium pastry bag fitted with a coupler, and pipe into lemon shells. Chill until set, a minimum of 1 hour or overnight.

This recipe yields 8 servings.

Comments: The Meyer lemon, the one truly seasonal lemon, available only in winter and early spring, is believed to be not a lemon at all, but an orange-lemon hybrid. The fruit was discovered outside Beijing by Frank N. Meyer, a "plant explorer" assigned by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to "skin the earth for good things for man." Meyer brought it to the United States in 1908. Meyer lemons are unusually fragrant and thin-skinned and have lower acidity than the more common Eureka and Lisbon lemons found in your local supermarket. Because sweet Meyer lemons are a delicious rarity, you can substitute a more readily available variety for this recipe.

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