When I was young, this old French classic was still — though in a quiet way — very much in vogue. I dare to say it was because the novelty of using so many garlic cloves had not worn off; it seemed somehow dangerously excessive. Even so, I don't think anyone would think it quite unremarkable now to put 40 cloves of garlic in a casserole. Certainly, if you peeled and chopped — let alone minced — the garlic, it would be inedible, but garlic cloves cooked encased in their skins grow sweet and caramelly as they cook, like savoury bonbons in their sticky wrappers, rather than breathing out acrid heat. This is a cosy supper, not a caustic one. For US cup measures, use the toggle at the top of the ingredients list.