What type of culinary process involves immersing food in hot fat until crispy and golden?

The process described involves immersing food in hot fat, which is characteristic of frying. Frying can be done in various ways, including deep-frying or shallow-frying, and it is specifically intended to cook food rapidly while creating a crispy exterior and golden color through the Maillard reaction—a chemical reaction that occurs when amino acids and sugars react under heat.

Frying not only helps in developing the flavor of the food but also enhances its texture, making it appealing to the palate. The immersion in hot fat effectively cooks the food through conduction, allowing heat to reach it quickly, resulting in a short cooking time.

In contrast, boiling involves cooking food in water or broth at high temperature, which doesn't produce the crispy texture achieved in frying. Baking is a dry heat cooking method that typically occurs in an oven and does not involve fat immersion. Steaming is a gentle cooking method that uses steam for cooking food, preserving moisture and nutrients, but it does not create the crispy texture associated with frying.