Basting

Everyone knows that basting a turkey is part of the endless battle to keep the white meat moist. But in basting poultry in the oven or on a spit, you are improving its flavor and appearance as well as its texture.

The contact of the outside of the meat with the hot basting fat helps the surface to brown more rapidly, searing the outside to keep in the moisture. And the juices in the basting liquid (add some stock or wine in the beginning) pick up the browned bits of meat and juice and deposit them back on the surface of the meat, again for flavor and color.