• Prepare your rabbit for the stew by quartering it into pieces for cooking, like this.
  
• Melt the butter in a dutch oven over medium heat.
• Once melted, add your rabbit and brown all the pieces evenly on all sides. At medium heat, this can be done in about 10 minutes. If your pot isn't big enough to brown the entire rabbit at once, do it in batches to ensure the pan doesn't get crowded.
  
• Remove the rabbit from the pot and place it off to the side on a plate or cutting board to rest.
• Add the celery, onion, carrots, garlic, and potatoes to the pot. Add a splash of chicken broth to deglaze the pan and get any browned bits off the bottom. This will help add vital taste to your stew. Stir the vegetables thoroughly for a few minutes.
• Add your salt, pepper, bay leaves, rosemary, and thyme to the dutch oven.
• Pour the rest of your chicken broth into the pot, submerging all of your ingredients. If you have too much or too little broth for your pot, adjust accordingly. You don't want the pot to overflow when you add the rabbit back, but you also don't want your stew to dry out.
  
• Add the rabbit pieces back in and make sure they're submerged in the chicken broth. Let simmer on low for 60 minutes.
• After 50 minutes, remove the rabbit pieces again. Using a knife (or your hands), begin deboning the pieces of rabbit you've set aside. This is a personal preference. I find it easier to take the bones out first and add all of the meat back into the stew to finish. Some people prefer to serve the stew with the rabbit bones in it. I've done it both ways and haven't noticed a drastic difference, it's just easier to eat.
  
• Once you've removed the bones, add the meat back into the stew. Check the taste of the stew and add more salt if needed.

Dumplings 

• Using a medium-sized bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, and salt together.
• Cut in the butter slowly to bring the dough to a crumbly texture.
• Add in the milk and stir thoroughly. The dough will become soft and a little wet.
• At this point, you can add some light seasonings to bring a little flavor to your dumplings. People often add dried parsley flakes, dried sage, or other common spices that will pair well with your stew. The dumplings have minimal taste, so any added flavor will do.
• Drop large spoonfuls of the batter into the boiling stew. They will puff up and float on the top. Once you've added all your dough, cover the pot and let simmer for 10 - 15 minutes.
• After 15 minutes, remove the lid and check that the dumplings have cooked through.
  
• Serve, and enjoy!