Roasted chestnuts in the Air Fryer
Warm roasted chestnuts with a soft, sweet, nutty centre and a shell that peels away easily – just like those from the street stalls in Italy, only made in the air fryer. Serve them with cold butter and flaky salt.
Equipment
- 1 Air fryer
- 1 Cutting board
- 1 Sharp knife
- 1 Bowl
- 1 Paper towel
- 1 Kitchen towel
Ingredients
- 500 g sweet chestnuts Fresh, in the shell
1 l water Lukewarm
50 g butter Cold- 1 tsp flaky salt For serving
Instructions
Preparation
- Rinse 500 g sweet chestnuts in cold water and discard any with small holes, cracks or mould. Use only sweet chestnuts – horse chestnuts from local parks and streets are poisonous.
- Cut a deep cross in the curved side of each chestnut with a sharp knife. Place them flat side down on the cutting board so they sit steadily while you cut. The cut should go through both the shell and the brown inner skin and right into the flesh – this stops the chestnuts from bursting and makes them easier to peel.
- Place the chestnuts in a bowl and cover them with 1 l water, preferably lukewarm. Leave them to soak for 20 minutes. The water seeps in under the shell and turns to steam in the air fryer, so the flesh turns soft and the shell comes off more easily. Discard any chestnuts that float to the top – they are usually dried out or worm-eaten.
- Pat the chestnuts lightly dry with kitchen roll once you have drained off the water. A little moisture in the cuts is only an advantage, as it gives extra steam during roasting.
Cooking in the air fryer
- Preheat the air fryer to 200 °C fan.
- Place the chestnuts in the basket in a single layer with the cross facing up, so the hot air reaches all sides. If it is too crowded, roast them in two batches.
- Roast the chestnuts at 200 °C for 18 minutes, shaking the basket halfway through. They are done when the shell has curled up at the cross and the flesh feels soft when you insert a knife. Small chestnuts may be ready after 15 minutes, while large ones may need 2-3 minutes more at 200 °C.
- Wrap the hot chestnuts in a clean tea towel and leave them to rest for 5 minutes. The steam loosens both the shell and the brown inner skin.
Serving
- Remove the shell and the brown inner skin by peeling the chestnuts from the cross outwards while they are still warm. Hold them in the tea towel if they are too hot for your fingers – as the chestnuts cool down, the skin sticks on again.
- Serve the warm chestnuts with 50 g butter straight from the fridge, cut into thin slices, and 1 tsp flaky salt. Place a thin slice of cold butter on each warm chestnut and sprinkle with a little flaky salt just before each bite.
Notes
Tips for a perfect result:
Cut the cross all the way through the shell and the brown inner skin – if the cut is too shallow, the skin clings on when you peel. Choose heavy, glossy chestnuts without small holes; light or rattling chestnuts are dried out. Don't skip the 5 minutes in the tea towel, because the steam loosens the shell and skin while the chestnuts are still warm. Sweet chestnuts only:
Buy sweet chestnuts from the supermarket or greengrocer's. Horse chestnuts, which fall from the trees in parks and along streets, are poisonous and must never be eaten. The sweet chestnut has a small pointed tip and usually one flat side, while the horse chestnut is round and smooth with no point. Variation:
Toss the peeled chestnuts in a little melted butter with finely chopped rosemary and flaky salt. For a sweet version, you can drizzle them with honey and sprinkle a little cinnamon over them. Serving:
In Italy they are sold as caldarroste in paper cones from the street stalls, and they taste best warm – for example as a snack with a glass of red wine or mulled wine. Leftovers can be used in stuffing for the Christmas turkey, in a salad with red cabbage or in a creamy chestnut soup. Portion size:
If your air fryer is smaller, you can make the dish in two batches. The chestnuts need to sit in a single layer to roast evenly.
Cut the cross all the way through the shell and the brown inner skin – if the cut is too shallow, the skin clings on when you peel. Choose heavy, glossy chestnuts without small holes; light or rattling chestnuts are dried out. Don't skip the 5 minutes in the tea towel, because the steam loosens the shell and skin while the chestnuts are still warm. Sweet chestnuts only:
Buy sweet chestnuts from the supermarket or greengrocer's. Horse chestnuts, which fall from the trees in parks and along streets, are poisonous and must never be eaten. The sweet chestnut has a small pointed tip and usually one flat side, while the horse chestnut is round and smooth with no point. Variation:
Toss the peeled chestnuts in a little melted butter with finely chopped rosemary and flaky salt. For a sweet version, you can drizzle them with honey and sprinkle a little cinnamon over them. Serving:
In Italy they are sold as caldarroste in paper cones from the street stalls, and they taste best warm – for example as a snack with a glass of red wine or mulled wine. Leftovers can be used in stuffing for the Christmas turkey, in a salad with red cabbage or in a creamy chestnut soup. Portion size:
If your air fryer is smaller, you can make the dish in two batches. The chestnuts need to sit in a single layer to roast evenly.
Nutrition
Calories: 291kcalCarbohydrates: 45gProtein: 2.3gFat: 11.4gSaturated fat: 6.6gPolyunsaturated fat: 0.9gMonounsaturated fat: 3gTrans fat: 0.4gCholesterol: 27mgSodium: 300mgPotassium: 500mgFiber: 4.2gSugar: 8.7gVitamin A: 340IUVitamin C: 21mgCalcium: 23mgIron: 1mgNet carbohydrates: 40.8g
