Isn't it romantic to leisurely roast chestnuts in a small cast-iron pot by the roaring fireplace?My winter nights usually consist of tripping over a problematic Roomba, as well as dragging my two cats out of the trash, so anyway, my romantic winter nights have more of an impact on the air fryer than an open fire. Air fryer baking is exactly what I was looking for during my holidays;It eliminates the waiting time so you can open the chestnut shell straight away and be dressed in your pajamas** Die Hard.
When I was younger, we would make oven-roasted chestnuts. This is a classic method, but even then it can take 20 to 30 minutes. The air fryer's circulating fan and significantly smaller space heats up faster and can cook chestnuts in a fraction of the time. Some recipes will tell you to soak the nuts before roasting them because it's easier to peel, but that's not necessary. I made both soaked and unsoaked ones, and they were all equally easy to peel when baked. What really matters is how you rate them.
Ninja 4 quart air fryer.
4 quarts instant air fryer.
Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer.
I bought chestnuts from my local shoprite and they are in good condition now. Later in the season, the product may become a little dry. Using a small paring knife, or preferably a small serrated paring knife, carefully make a large incision in the entire circular belly of each chestnut. Some chestnuts have two flat sides. They may be teasing us because they know what we're doing. Let's pick a side.
My reasoning about the rounded side is because it has a larger surface area and the shape makes the shell open during baking. You can make a second crack on the first one;It's not entirely necessary, but it can help. I tried to cut chestnuts from the equator from top to tail. Both are fine, but if you're only making one piece, then I recommend the equator. The most important thing is to cut the chestnuts into large slices. None of these little "x's are nonsense.
The nicking allows steam to escape from the chestnuts during roasting so that the chestnuts don't burst, but the edges of the large slices will peel off, making it easier to remove the meat.
Preheat the air fryer to 400°F. Place the chestnuts in the air fryer basket with the notched side facing up. This will allow the shell to peel off without being hindered by the tray underneath.
Allie Chanthorn Reinmann roasts the chestnuts in an "air fryer" for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the shells are visibly peeled off and the edges are cooked.
Allow the chestnuts to cool completely. As they cool down, you'll hear them crackle. This is a good sign. Pile the chestnuts into a bowl and bring the empty chestnuts to the coffee table as a "shell bowl". Pinch the ends of the chestnut to loosen the shell, then open it with the peeled back shell. Due to the large scoring methodology, most of them will be formed in one piece. Click on "**" and then tell McLean that I say "Hello".