Bœuf Bourguignon in the slow cooker

Not a recipe, but a concept. A couple of pounds of beef shank and stew beef; some carrots and onions; a few bay leaves, cloves, and black peppercorns; and finally, a bottle of strong red wine — in this case, a Corbières from SW France.

Put it all in the slow cooker at low temperature for eight hours. No real need to brown the meat before you put it on to simmer, because the red wine will brown it for you.

Finally, to fill out the plate, a Gratin Dauphinois — thinly sliced potatoes cooked for 90 minutes in a medium oven with just enough whole milk to cover them, salt, pepper, and a grating of nutmeg.