Chestnuts are the essence of autumn: irresistible scent, burning hands and that barbaric satisfaction in peeling them without letting half the peel fly around. But let’s face it: doing them well is not so obvious. If you don’t want to end up with chestnuts that are hard as rocks or impossible to peel, you need a precise technique. So here is a method tested by those who now live on bread and an air fryer, with a clever addition that makes the difference: coarse salt.
How to cook chestnuts in an air fryer with salt
The process is simple, but must be followed step by step. Start by soaking the chestnuts in water at room temperature for about twenty minutes, half an hour if you want to be on the safe side. The peel softens and they cut well, without effort.
Each chestnut is cut with a cross cut on the belly, without massacring the fruit, then a horizontal cut on the back. At that point they go back to soak, this time in warm water for another thirty minutes: they hydrate well and cook evenly.
Once ready, they are drained and dried in a cloth. Then they are placed in a container with a generous dose of coarse salt: mix mercilessly, so each chestnut is loaded with flavour.
Off in the air fryer basket, 200°C for 20–25 minutes maximum, turning them every now and then to avoid the “half burnt, half raw” drama.
When you smell the scent that makes you nostalgic for the chestnut workers in the square, you take them out. But that’s not all: wrap them in a wet cloth and let them rest for ten minutes. It’s the magic step: the humidity lifts the skin and you can peel them without swearing in every known language.
Result? Warm, soft, fragrant and – above all – very easy to peel chestnuts. The perfect autumn is served, without dirtying the house and without chimney smoke.
@carlo_gaiano Air fryer chestnuts with salt PERFECT! Ingredients 1 kg of chestnuts 200 g of coarse salt If possible, soak the chestnuts for 20 minutes in water at room temperature so as to rehydrate them. After 20 minutes, eliminate any that have risen to the surface. Cut them horizontally slightly along the entire central surface, being careful not to go too deep and ruin the fruit. Gradually place them in a container with warm water. After draining them, dry the chestnuts in a cloth Pour the chestnuts into a container, add the salt and mix Pour everything into the air fryer Cook for 20-25 minutes at 200°C, stirring them quickly a couple of times during cooking Place the chestnuts in a container with a wet cloth inside, close by wrapping the cloth and let the chestnuts cool for about ten minutes (a lot of humidity will be created inside the cloth which will allow the chestnuts to shell and peel easily). After about 10 minutes open the cloth and serve #airfryer #chestnuts
♬ original sound – Carlo Gaiano
Other useful tips
And while we’re at it, a few more tips are worth their weight in gold. First thing: choose the chestnuts well, if they float in the water at the beginning, discard them without regrets: it means that they are empty or rotten inside.
When making the cuts, use a sharp knife and keep the chestnut still on the cutting board: if you try to cut it while holding it in your hand, the risk of making a good cut yourself is just around the corner. And remember: better a firm cross on the peel than a timid incision that serves no purpose.
For the fryer: no overcrowded basket. If you pile them all together, they cook badly, better to do two rounds than find half the batch raw and half to throw away. And don’t skimp on turning them.
Another underestimated point: the salt is not for salting them, but to aid cooking and peeling.
The wet cloth is grandma’s trick: it creates the steam necessary to detach the internal skin.
Last thing: eat them while they are still hot.
