Pear Strudel with Chestnut Cream and Pear Chips

This is pastry chef Stephen Durfee’s interpretation of a traditional strudel. One of the elements I like most in this dish is the crystallized fruit chip, a technique I learned in France from chef Michel Trama.

The main components of the dish, the poached pears, the chestnut cream, and the pear chips, can all be prepared a day ahead (the cream must be made in advance), and the strudels can be assembled a few hours before they are baked.