What process employs dry ice in molecular gastronomy to quickly affect the texture of food?

The process that employs dry ice in molecular gastronomy to quickly affect the texture of food is flash freezing. Dry ice, which is solid carbon dioxide, has an extremely low temperature of approximately -78.5°C (-109.3°F). When food is exposed to dry ice, it experiences a rapid change in temperature that freezes the food almost instantaneously.

Flash freezing is particularly useful in molecular gastronomy because it helps preserve the structure and integrity of the ingredients while also creating unique textures. For example, ice cream can be made by mixing ingredients and rapidly freezing them with dry ice, resulting in a smooth texture without the formation of large ice crystals. This technique is essential for achieving specific mouthfeel and consistency in modern culinary applications.

The other processes mentioned—flash boiling, slow cooking, and rapid drying—do not involve the use of dry ice or serve the same purpose in manipulating food textures in such an immediate way. Flash boiling would involve changing a liquid to gas through rapid heating, slow cooking allows flavors to develop over a longer time, and rapid drying removes moisture from food typically through heat, which does not align with the quick freezing characteristic of dry ice.