Best Turkey Recipe (Inspired by Emeril Lagasse)

 This is a very simple recipe inspired by Emeril Lagasse.  It will impress your toughest food critics.  

INSTRUCTIONS 

TOTAL PREP TIME:  ONE WEEK

One Week Before Holiday Meal

Get Ingredients Together

 - One Whole Frozen Turkey

 - One Large Bottle of Extra Virgin Olive Oil (enough to cover the turkey thoroughly)

 - Rosemary (enough to cover the turkey thoroughly)

Get Cooking and Kitchen Materials Together

 - One Large Roasting Pan (Big enough to cook the turkey, small enough to fit in the oven)

 - Aluminum Foil (Enough to cover the turkey thoroughly)

 - Garbage Bags

 - Antibacterial Hand Soap

 - Scissors (One Pair)

 - Dishwashing Liquid (I prefer "Dawn")

 - Garbage Can

 - Fridge Container (Big enough to hold turkey - Can use empty vegetable container drawer)

Turkey Defrost Prep

- Move the frozen turkey from the freezer to a container in the fridge.

Two Days Before Holiday Meal

Prepare Kitchen Workspace

 - Soap by sink to wash hands

 - Dishwashing liquid by sink to wash fridge container and scissors

 - Garbage bag in garbage can close to counter where you are preparing turkey

 - Kitchen counter space cleared for your turkey, remaining cooking materials, and ingredients

 - Move fridge container to the kitchen counter with the turkey in the container

 - Put remaining ingredients and materials on kitchen counter next to container with turkey in it 

One Day Before Holiday Meal

Kitchen Prep

 - Soap by sink to wash hands

 - Dishwashing liquid by sink to wash fridge container and scissors

 - Kitchen counter space cleared for turkey, remaining cooking materials, and ingredients

 - Garbage Bag in Garbage Can close to counter next to you where you are preparing turkey

Cleaning Prep

 - Wash hands thoroughly with antibacterial soap

 - Wash scissors thoroughly with dishwashing liquid and rinse thoroughly

Turkey Prep

 - Cut the wrapper off the turkey with the scissors in the container.

 - Drain liquid from wrapper into fridge container before throwing wrapper in the garbage.  

 - Reach inside the turkey cavity to find the neck and packeted ingredients inside.

 - Take the neck and packeted ingredients out of the turkey cavity.

 - Put the neck and packeted ingredients into the roasting pan.

 - Unpack the packeted ingredients by cutting them open with the scissors.

 - Empty the packeted ingredients into the roasting pan.  

 - Put the wrapper for the packeted ingredients in the garbage.  

 - Cover the neck and packeted ingredients in olive oil and rosemary.

 - Wrap the neck and packeted ingredients in a separate piece of foil and put them to the side in the pan.

 - Move the turkey from the Fridge Container to the Roasting Pan.

 - Cover the turkey thoroughly with olive oil and rub the olive oil into the turkey on all sides.

 - Cover the turkey thoroughly with rosemary.

 - Rub the rosemary with the olive oil into the turkey on all sides.

 - Wrap the turkey thoroughly and tightly with foil in the Roasting Pan.

 - Cover the Roasting Pan.

 - Put the covered Roasting Pan in the oven.

Cooking the Turkey

 - Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

 - Put the covered Roasting Pan in the oven at 350 degrees for 5 hours.

 - Turn the oven off after 5 hours and leave the covered Roasting Pan with the turkey in the oven.

Day of Holiday Meal

 - Turn the oven back on at 350 degrees.

 - Prepare all of your side dishes, table settings, and other additional items for your holiday meal.

 - Put all side dishes, table settings and other items for your holiday meal at the serving table.

 - Turn off the oven.  Clear the kitchen counter and put a towel or hot plate on the counter.

 - Take the turkey Roasting Pan out of the oven and put it on the towel or hot plate on the counter.

 - Remove the cover and cut the foil open to expose the turkey.

Serving the Turkey

You can serve the turkey in the roasting pan "as-is" for the traditional holiday presentation.

In the alternative, you can also very easily debone the turkey and put the deboned pieces on a serving platter and put the serving platter on the table.  Simply remove the bones by hand and put the pieces onto the serving platter.  Then take scissors or a fork/knife and chop up the turkey on the serving platter.  Pour the gravy from the roasting pan onto the turkey platter.  Serving spoon with the turkey on the platter and move to holiday meal table.