This sweet and tangy butter tucked under the turkey skin, plus roasting in a steamy environment, makes for moist and meltingly tender meat with a rich flavor. I lay awake in bed one night, puzzling how to get the butter under the skin without making a greasy mess, and came up with the trick in this recipe. Using vegetables to flavor the gravy is a technique I learned from a friend in Germany, and star anise is the one ingredient my German mother has always included in her chicken or turkey soups, so naturally, I have to sneak it into my gravy, for a subtle and elusive flavor note.

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