We like to hike. We have been on several with Toby this year, but gentle ones. We realised very quickly that the backpack we have from LL Bean for a child is really not as comfortable once that child passes the thirty pound mark.One of the hikes that Husby, and sometimes I try to do every year, is the Paul Perry hike. Paul was a friend of Husby's Uncle, a Massachusetts State Trooper who died over a decade ago whilst on duty. Every year about 50 or 60 get together and hike Mt Washington, this is where Paul's ashes were scattered. I've only ever made it halfway, it's an intimidating mountain. We took Toby last year and made it about half a mile to the waterfall, then Husby summited while Toby and I hiked back down. This year I couldn't make it, morning sickness did not make me want to put a pack on my back, so Toby and I stayed home.
There is another tradition with this hike, I make Scotch Eggs. An English(?) delicacy from my childhood, they are the perfect protein punch for a long hike. They are pretty heavy, but as you eat them your pack loses weight which is nice. They also take up very little space depending on how many you want to carry! You will need half a dozen boiled eggs, two packs of sausage meat, and breadcrumbs.
Each pack of sausage can yield up to five Scotch eggs. For the first few years I only managed to get three from each as I was wary of not having enough sausage covering. Experience will allow you to stretch the meat more, so adjust your egg quantity accordingly. Also, always boil more eggs than you need, split eggs don't work well.
Tear of a handful of sausage meat and place the egg in the center.
Wrap the sausage meat around the egg so that no white is visible. You will need to massage the sausage so that there is no visible join, otherwise it will split.
Roll the Scotch Egg in breadcrumbs, I usually forgo dipping in raw egg prior to this, but you can if you prefer.
When I was a child, this was the point at which my mother would throw them in the deep fryer. We bake now. Much healthier!
Bake at 350 for 45 minutes. Add an extra ten if you are concerned about the sausage. If you only got six eggs from two packages, you will need the extra time due to the thickness of the sausage.
Let the eggs cool, then wrap individually in tin foil.
These have become a tradition for many on our hike who eagerly seek Ben out at base camp looking for their protein punch. This year I managed to make a few extra, but I have been instructed to not make too many, the scarcity increases the desirability!
