The sun is shining and the social calendar is in full swing. Don’t leave the game behind for the after party BBQ, pack it in a hamper for the picnic. Philippa Davis’ wild rabbit skewers with a toasted cashew, mango and carrot salad are ideal for an elegant picnic.

For more perfect picnic ideas, pancetta and rosemary arancini stuffed with olives and mozzarella are a jolly snack for starters and strawberry and mascarpone profiteroles with salted caramel sauce are an impressive final flourish.

WILD RABBIT SKEWERS WITH A TOASTED CASHEW, MANGO AND CARROT SALAD

When cooking lean meat, soaking it in brine increases its liquid content and helps break down the proteins, which will produce tender and delicious results. To maintain optimum texture do not brine the meat for more than 1 hour per 450g.

• 2 x 800g each wild rabbits, jointed into legs and saddle (use shoulders for stock)

Brine

• 1 tbsp black peppercorns
• 20g ginger, roughly chopped
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 litre cold water
• 100g white sugar
• 100g fine sea salt
  2 cloves garlic, lightly smashed

Marinade

• ½ lime, zest and juice
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 16g ginger, finely grated
• 1 tbsp soy
• 1 tbsp runny honey
• Pinch of dried chilli flakes
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Salad Dressing

• 1 ½ limes, juice and zest
• 1 dsp runny honey
• 15g grated ginger
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tbsp sesame oil

Salad

• 100g cashew nuts, lightly roasted with 1 dsp Chinese five spice and 1 tbsp olive oil
• 250g broccoli florets, cooked then cooled
• 170g grated carrot
• 1 – 2 red chillies, finely sliced
• 1 mango, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 15g fresh coriander leaves

To make the brine, heat all the brine ingredients together until the salt and sugar have dissolved; leave to cool completely then submerge the rabbit for 1½ hours maximum.

Take out, rinse and pat dry. Trim the meat off the bones in long strips, using any smaller trimmings, too (keep the bones for stock).

To make the marinade, whisk all the ingredients together, except the olive oil, and season. Add the rabbit, toss well and mix in the oil. Leave in the fridge for 2 hours.

Skewer your meat onto sticks (shorter ones work best) then cook on a hot griddle for a couple of minutes both sides. Leave to cool, cover well and refrigerate.

To make the salad dressing, whisk everything together, adding the oils last, and season. Store in a jar at room temperature overnight.

For the salad, the night before, prep and place the ingredients into a box but do not mix. Store in the fridge. On the morning, place the salad in a big bowl, shake the dressing and pour over three-quarters of it; toss well. Pour the last quarter over the skewers. Pack into a box – it’s ready to eat.