That's "fried" buddy. The food is dipped in melted butter and then dredged in a mixture of herbs and spices, usually some combination of thyme, oregano, chili pepper, peppercorns, salt, garlic powder and onion powder. It is then cooked in a very hot cast-iron skillet.
The characteristic brown-black color of the crust results from a combination of browned milk solids from the butter and charred spices.