This is a riff on sweet-and-sour chicken. It clears away the goop to get a dish that tastes great, with a fun mingling of flavors.Gone is the canned pineapple, replaced with grilled pineapple slices. Out went the breading and frying; skinless chicken thighs are grilled instead. The fruity tang comes from a homemade glaze that is applied to the fruit and the chicken, and some blanched and quickly charred scallions add color.The dish requires a few steps, but you’ll like the results.If you happen to have strawberry-rhubarb jam, you can substitute 3/4 cup of it for the strawberries, rhubarb, water and sugar. Just combine the jam with the onion and mustard seeds and cook for about 25 minutes, until the onions are soft.

STRAWBERRY-RHUBARB-GLAZED CHICKEN THIGHS-Yield: 4 servings

GLAZE1 stalk rhubarb (about 2 ounces), cut into 1/4- to 1/2-inch dice to yield 1/2 cup4-6 large strawberries, hulled and cut into 1/4- to 1/2-inch dice to yield 1/2 cup1 small onion, cut into small dice ( 1/2 cup)1 cup sugar2 teaspoons mustard seeds1/4 teaspoon salt1 cup water2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

CHICKEN AND PINEAPPLE8 scallions, white and light-green parts about 6 inches long1/8-1/4 teaspoon salt3/4 pound peeled and cored pineapple, cut into four 1/4- to 1/2-inch slices8 bone-in skinless chicken thighs (2 pounds)Freshly ground black pepper

Procedure:1. Glaze: Combine rhubarb, strawberries, onion, sugar, mustard seeds, salt and water in small saucepan over medium to medium-high heat. Stir to mix well, until bubbles form at the edges. Cook 45 minutes, stirring occasionally and making sure mixture does not boil over, until it has reduced by half; vegetables should be quite soft.Carefully transfer to blender. Remove the center portion of lid to let steam escape, then place dish towel over lid. Puree until smooth, then add vinegar and pulse to combine. Divide the glaze evenly between 2 small bowls.2. Chicken and pineapple: Prepare grill for direct and indirect heat. If using gas grill, preheat to medium (350 degrees). If using charcoal grill, light charcoal or wood briquettes; when briquettes are ready, distribute them on one side of the cooking area. For a medium-hot fire, you should be able to hold your hand about 6 inches above the coals for 6-7 seconds. Have ready a spray water bottle for taming any flames. Lightly coat grill rack with oil and place it on the grill.3. While grill is preheating, bring shallow pan of lightly salted water to a boil over medium-high heat. Add scallions and cook 2 minutes (for thin scallions) to 4 minutes (thick), then use tongs to transfer them to a plate. They should be tender and bright green.4. Lightly salt pineapple slices and chicken thighs; season chicken with pepper to taste. Place chicken and pineapple on grill over direct heat; close lid. When pineapple has good grill marks on one side (5-6 minutes), turn pieces and move to indirect-heat side of grill. Use one bowl of glaze to brush pineapple. Grill 5-6 minutes with lid closed.5. Turn chicken thighs once they have grill marks (10-13 minutes), allowing second side to get color and grill marks (10-12 minutes). Transfer chicken to the indirect-heat side of grill and brush with glaze from second bowl.6. As pineapple and chicken thighs are done, transfer them to a platter; use space on grill rack to grill the par-cooked scallions close to indirect-heat side of grill for a few minutes, until slightly charred.7. To serve, cut each slice of grilled pineapple in half, placing a half-slice on each plate. Top with 2 grilled chicken thighs, 2 grilled scallions and a second pineapple half.

Nutrition data per serving: 386 calories, 41 g protein, 37 g carbohydrates, 8 g fat, 2 g saturated fat, 165 mg cholesterol, 266 mg sodium, 2 g dietary fiber, 28 g sugar

Ale Reed pumps after the Colorado Springs Sky Sox got a hit against the Iowa Cubs on Wednesday, May 13, 2009 at Security Service Field. Photo by Bryan Oller, The Gazette

Bryan Oller