I’m going to share a bit about my health first — feel free to skip ahead to the photos and recipe if you’d like to get straight to the wings.
I’ve been laying low for the past few weeks. When I’m not feeling well I tend to withdraw, which only makes things harder. For more than a year I’ve been battling a chronic cough that comes and goes. I first mentioned it last July, and since then it’s had a major impact on my life. Severe coughing fits take over my whole body — leaving me short of breath, gasping, or sneezing, and often drenched in sweat by the end.
The social side of it is rough too. I get uncomfortable looks when I’m out shopping or traveling, and once on a flight a man asked me to cover my mouth when I coughed. I explained I already was, and that this is not contagious — my cough is driven by allergies and asthma. Mostly people are kind and offer cough drops, but the awkwardness still wears on me.
Lately the cough has been worse and more exhausting, physically and emotionally. Some days it’s hard to get anything done. I find myself apologizing to Curtis and others when I have a spell, even though they reassure me not to — it’s just hard not to feel like a disruption. Curtis worries too; I can see it on his face when I cough. I’m more frustrated than anyone.
My doctors suspect the cough comes from a combination of allergies, asthma and possibly acid reflux. I didn’t really believe reflux at first because I haven’t had typical heartburn symptoms, but to be thorough I’m scheduled for an upper endoscopy with Bravo monitoring next week. The Bravo device will stay attached to my esophagus to measure pH for 48 hours. It’s a bit intimidating, and for a while I considered canceling — until heartburn showed up this week. I’m off reflux meds so the test won’t be confounded, and that makes the timing necessary even if it’s uncomfortable.
Asthma has also flared; I’m wheezing more, which triggers additional coughing. Curtis nudged me to go to urgent care recently when the coughing got so severe I thought I might have bruised a rib. They prescribed a cough suppressant that helps a lot — turning constant coughing into just intermittent bouts.
My allergy specialist recommended Xolair injections because my allergies and asthma have become less responsive to standard treatments. Xolair can help, but it comes with precautions: an observation period after the first shot, and I’ll need to carry an epinephrine auto-injector because of a small risk of anaphylaxis. Steroids haven’t been effective for the cough and have unpleasant side effects for me, so I’m hopeful the injections will be a better option.
Googling “chronic cough” makes it feel common, but I’m still anxious about whether my doctors will find a lasting solution — or whether it might be something worse. The cough varies: sometimes it feels like postnasal drip and a lozenge helps, other times it’s deep in my chest with rattling, and I also have sleep apnea, so everything feels interconnected.
I’m trying natural supports too: local raw honey and bee pollen daily, hoping they may help over time. If you’ve had an upper endoscopy, used Bravo monitoring, or started Xolair, I’d love to hear about your experience and any advice you have.
If you read this far, thank you for sticking with me. Now — wings!
I love chicken wings, and my go-to method is Joanne’s boiling-then-baking technique from Fifteen Spatulas. It yields ultra-crisp skin without frying, and it’s become my preferred way to prepare wings.
After adding the wings to boiling water you’ll see the water calm and then return to a boil. That brief blanch helps render fat and jump-start crisping.
Drain and thoroughly dry the wings — the skin must be completely dry so it crisps beautifully in the oven.
Arrange the wings on an uncovered baking sheet and bake at 400°F for 20 minutes, flip, then bake another 10–15 minutes until nicely browned and crisp.
While they bake, prepare the harissa butter sauce. I tried Mina’s Harissa Moroccan Red Pepper Sauce — both mild and spicy versions work depending on your heat preference. Melt butter with the harissa on the stove and stir until combined, or microwave the butter and harissa in short bursts until melted and mix well. The butter rounds and brightens the sauce — it’s essential for wing sauce in my book.
The sauce becomes a vivid, glossy coating once butter is added. Toss the hot wings in the sauce until evenly coated and garnish with chopped Italian parsley if you like.
These wings are simple — only a few ingredients — but full of flavor: the bright depth of harissa balanced by butter produces a spicy, savory glaze that’s addictive. They work just as well with the milder harissa if you prefer less heat.
Baked Harissa Chicken Wings Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 to 2 pounds chicken wings and drummettes, separated
- 1/2 cup Mina Harissa Moroccan Red Pepper Sauce, mild or spicy
- 1/2 stick unsalted butter, 1/4 cup
- chopped Italian parsley, optional
Instructions
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Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add at least 2 teaspoons of salt to the water. Heat oven to 400 degrees F.
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Carefully add chicken wings to the boiling water. Once the water returns to a boil, set a timer for 8 minutes. Drain and place the wings on an uncovered baking sheet. Use a paper towel to dry them completely, being careful because the chicken is hot. There should be no moisture left. Arrange wings 1/2 to 1 inch apart on the baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes, flip each wing, then bake another 10 to 15 minutes.
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Stovetop Sauce: While the wings are baking, add butter and harissa sauce to a small saucepan. After the butter melts, whisk together and cook 2–3 more minutes.
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Microwave Sauce: Alternatively, combine butter and harissa in a microwave-safe bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and microwave in 30-second increments for about 1 minute 30 seconds until butter is melted. Mix thoroughly.
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Remove wings from the oven and place them in a large mixing bowl. Pour the harissa butter sauce over the wings and toss with tongs to coat. Serve with chopped parsley. Leftover sauce can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Notes
Sauce inspired by The Little Kitchen.
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Disclosure: Mina sent me a few sauces to sample. I was not paid to review them and these are my honest impressions.