a process for cooking food products , such as battered and breaded pieces of meat , with hot oil by placing the products on a conveyor and passing them through a plurality of descending hot oil curtains to enrobe and cook the products . the cooking oil is supplied from above through oil inlet weirs in a smooth curtain with the flow volume and temperature being controlled . the cooking oil is returned for reheating and the products are removed from the conveyor in a cooked condition .