Apparatus and method for cooking casingless shaped food products

An apparatus for cooking a casingless food product, comprising:

• a housing;
• a tray positionable within said housing for supporting at least one casingless food product thereon, said tray separating the interior of said housing into a first space above said tray and a second space below said tray;
• said tray having a plurality of grooves shaped to nest at least one casingless food product therein;
• a plurality of openings extending through said tray and within said grooves for the passage of air between said second space and said first space, said casingless food product positionable within said grooves and over said openings;
• said openings provided within said grooves in an ordered arrangement having a first row, a second row and a third row, said first row and said second row of said openings extending through said tray in a substantially vertical orientation, said third row of said openings extending through said tray at an acute angle with respect to said first row and said second row;
• heating means for heating the air within at least said second space;
• and
• pressure means for pressurizing the air within said second space to a pressure greater than the pressure within said first space;
• whereby the heated and pressurized air in said second space passes through said openings to simultaneous lift said food product above said support means and to cook said food product.