Seeing “bucket of fried chicken” listed on a menu is a sign of a good time to come.
At Good Word, you can choose five or 10 pieces in your bucket. Either way, you get a heap of amber-hued, piping-hot fried chicken, drizzled with the house chile oil. As you bite into a piece, it shatters in shingles of crispy, craggy crust.
This is the point at which I wondered how they managed to achieve such a beautiful crispness, with to-the-bone seasoning and a super moist interior. There was a tickle of heat in each juice-dripping bite.
The process starts with a bird that has flavor itself. The chicken brines for 48 hours in guajillo, pasilla and morita chiles, with lime and garlic. It then is fryer-blanched, dredged, coated in buttermilk, dredged again and fried until it is golden. The secret ingredient in the flour, which I coaxed out of owner Todd DiMatteo, is vanilla wafers.
You might think a bucket will be too much — until you see the bottom of the empty container.
Good Word Brewing & Public House. 3085 Main St., Duluth. 678-336-9928, goodwordbrewing.com
