Joanna Gaines’ Jo’s Fatayar Recipe: An Honest Review and Tips for a Better Bite from Magnolia Table

Embarking on a culinary journey through Joanna Gaines’ renowned Magnolia Table Cookbook is usually a delightful experience, yielding a treasure trove of comforting and delicious recipes. However, among the vast collection of roughly 150 dishes I’ve had the pleasure of preparing, there are a select few—perhaps only three or four—that didn’t quite hit the mark. Jo’s Fatayar stands out as one of these rare exceptions, a recipe that, midway through its creation, prompted the resolute thought: “I will never make this again.” This sentiment is particularly noteworthy given how highly I regard the vast majority of Gaines’ culinary offerings, making this a truly unique and somewhat frustrating experience.

The Initial Encounter: High Hopes and Lingering Doubts

My enthusiasm for Jo’s Fatayar was palpable from the moment I first read the recipe in the cookbook. The idea of preparing a dish that offered “something just a little different” appealed greatly to my adventurous palate. As a long-time admirer of Middle Eastern cuisine, with a cherished local restaurant in Fort Worth that I frequent with my family, the promise of new flavors and a unique dish was incredibly exciting. The thought of creating a savory pastry, a twist on traditional offerings, was an invitation I eagerly accepted.

However, as I delved deeper into the ingredient list and instructions, a specific detail regarding the potato inclusion in the filling gave me pause. The recipe suggested leaving the potatoes “wet and soggy.” This immediately raised a red flag for me. In my experience, even a slight crisping or sautéing of potatoes for a savory filling can dramatically enhance both texture and flavor, preventing the filling from becoming overly dense or watery. I couldn’t help but feel that a crucial opportunity to elevate the dish was being missed right from the start.

Beyond the texture concern, the overall flavor profile of the filling seemed to lack the depth and aromatic complexity I associate with authentic Middle Eastern dishes. It felt as though it was missing a quintessential spice blend that could truly make it sing. Ingredients like traditional Za’atar, the warming notes of Chinese five-spice, or the rich, intricate aroma of Ras el Hanout came to mind as potential additions that could transform the filling from merely “tasty” to truly unforgettable. Without such layers, I worried the dish might fall flat, and unfortunately, my worries proved to be well-founded.

The Frustrating Process: From Anticipation to Disappointment

The method described for preparing Jo’s Fatayar proved to be far more cumbersome than anticipated, ultimately leading to a result that felt disproportionate to the effort invested. The recipe instructs readers to utilize store-bought refrigerator biscuits as the crust—a shortcut that initially seemed appealing but ultimately became a major point of contention. I made a conscious decision to invest in the genuine Pillsbury biscuits, believing that using the exact product specified would yield the best outcome and mitigate any potential issues. Little did I know, this ingredient choice would be at the heart of my frustration.

The instructions call for meticulously rolling out each biscuit, placing a spoonful of the meat and potato filling in the center, and then carefully pinching the edges together to form a triangular pastry. This process is inherently time-consuming, requiring a delicate touch to ensure the seams are properly sealed. I diligently rolled out every biscuit, filled each one precisely, and artfully arranged them on my baking sheets, feeling a sense of accomplishment as I prepared them for the oven. I genuinely believed I was executing the recipe perfectly, creating a batch of what I hoped would be beautiful, savory triangles.

However, the moment these carefully crafted pastries entered the oven, my hopes began to deflate. Almost immediately, as the biscuits started to bake and puff, nearly every single one of them popped wide open! It was a disheartening sight, transforming my perfectly pinched triangles into an unruly collection of exposed filling and haphazard crusts. I quickly pulled them out, attempting to pinch the seams back together in a desperate effort to salvage their form. A handful of them, through sheer will and perhaps a bit of luck, managed to retain their shape after this intervention. But for the vast majority, the effort was futile; they simply opened up again during the remainder of the baking process. “WOMP WOMP!!!” indeed – it felt like a culinary defeat.

This recurring issue made me question the fundamental design of the recipe. Why invest such a significant amount of time and effort into shaping these pastries into delicate triangles if they are almost guaranteed to burst open during cooking? It felt like an unavoidable flaw, one that no amount of careful pinching or arrangement could completely overcome. The structural integrity of the refrigerator biscuit dough, when stretched thin and filled, simply wasn’t robust enough to contain the filling under oven heat, leading to consistent disappointment.

Refinement and Solutions: Learning from Experience and Expert Advice

The inherent challenges with the recipe’s folding technique and choice of dough became even clearer with subsequent insights. An update shared on January 3, 2021, highlighted a crucial discrepancy: Joanna Gaines’ method for folding these pastries in her book was vastly different from the technique she demonstrated in the very first episode of her new cooking show, Magnolia Table with Joanna Gaines. The visual demonstration on the show presented a far more sensible and effective way to secure the filling, suggesting that even the creator recognized the need for a clearer, more robust folding method. My advice to anyone attempting this recipe is unequivocal: watch the show and adopt her demonstrated technique!

Further illumination came from a fellow blogger, Cosette Posko, who is of Lebanese descent and possesses a deep understanding of traditional Middle Eastern cuisine. Cosette shared an invaluable tip: authentic fatayar are typically folded in a way that completely encloses the filling, sealing it securely within the dough. This cultural insight profoundly reinforced my own observations regarding the bursting issue. It suggests that the aesthetic of the partially open triangle, as implicitly encouraged by the initial recipe, might be at odds with the functional requirement of containing a savory filling during baking. Therefore, if you venture to make these, heed Cosette’s advice: forgo the “style” of an open triangle and instead, “wrap those babies UP!”

This experience firmly convinced me that the fundamental “vehicle” for the filling—the biscuit dough—needs to be re-evaluated. While the filling itself is undeniably tasty and possesses good flavor (despite my earlier critique about needing more spice), the store-bought refrigerator biscuit simply isn’t the right choice. Its flavor profile clashed with the savory filling, creating an odd juxtaposition that neither my family nor I could appreciate. I suspect it might have been a preservative flavor coming through, or perhaps just a fundamental incompatibility between the sweet-leaning biscuit and the savory, spiced meat and potato mixture.

I am 100% confident that with a different type of bread or crust, this recipe could be a resounding success. Imagine this flavorful filling nestled within a warm, pillowy naan, or encased in a flaky, simple pie crust. With such alternatives, I would enthusiastically endorse Jo’s Fatayar. The potential for a truly satisfying dish is there, but it hinges entirely on ditching the refrigerator biscuits.

For those genuinely interested in a more authentic and rewarding fatayar experience, I wholeheartedly recommend exploring a traditional recipe, particularly focusing on the dough. A fantastic starting point is this Lamb Sfeeha recipe from Cosette’s Kitchen. While it’s for Sfeeha, the dough recipe she links within it is superior and far more suited to this style of savory pastry. Using a proper, homemade dough will not only prevent the frustration of bursting pastries but also provide a much more harmonious flavor and texture profile. Trust me, you won’t regret the extra effort for a genuinely satisfying result.

Key Takeaways and Recommendations for Future Attempts

Having navigated the journey of making Jo’s Fatayar, I’ve gathered several crucial tips that I would implement if I were ever to attempt this recipe again. First and foremost, to avoid the perpetual issue of bursting seams and to simplify the process significantly, I would reshape the pastries. Instead of laboriously forming triangles that inevitably open, I would opt for a more secure, empanada-style fold. This crescent shape, often crimped along the edges, provides a much more reliable enclosure for the filling, ensuring that your efforts in the kitchen are rewarded with intact, beautifully baked pastries.

My second, and perhaps most significant, recommendation revolves around the dough. The flavor of the processed biscuit dough was a considerable detractor for my family and me. It imparted an artificial or incompatible taste that simply did not meld well with the savory, spiced filling. Given my preference for minimizing processed foods in my own kitchen, this was a prominent issue. For a truly satisfying experience, a homemade dough is paramount. As mentioned earlier, Cosette’s Kitchen offers an excellent alternative dough recipe that would elevate this dish significantly. The authenticity and superior texture of a proper dough would transform Jo’s Fatayar from a problematic recipe into a genuinely delightful one.

Despite my strong reservations about the fatayar itself, there was one undeniable triumph from this culinary experiment: the Lebanese Salad. This vibrant, fresh, and perfectly balanced salad was an absolute delight. I could honestly eat it all day long. It provided a much-needed refreshing counterpoint to the heavier, albeit flawed, pastries and was, in my opinion, the undisputed star of the meal. While the fatayar journey was a bumpy one, the salad remains a firm keeper in my recipe repertoire.

To summarize, if you’re determined to try Jo’s Fatayar, please consider these modifications. Use a different, more authentic dough, perhaps a simple pie crust or a specialized pastry dough, and adopt a more secure folding method, like an empanada or a fully enclosed traditional fatayar. The Pillsbury biscuits, while convenient, simply do not do justice to the concept of a savory Middle Eastern pastry. I truly believe that with these adjustments, the delicious filling can shine within a crust that truly complements it.

I’m genuinely curious about your experiences. If you’ve made Jo’s Fatayar from the Magnolia Table Cookbook, I’d love to hear your thoughts and whether you encountered similar challenges or discovered successful modifications. Please share your insights in the comments section below!

Until next time, happy cooking!

Kendell

For those who watched Joanna prepare this recipe on Season 1, Episode 1 of her cooking show, ‘Magnolia Table with Joanna Gaines‘, you can access the recipe directly by CLICKING HERE. She generously shared it on her blog for home cooks to recreate!

Explore More Magnolia Table Reviews

If you enjoyed this honest review, be sure to check out my other detailed critiques from Episode 1 of Magnolia Table with Joanna Gaines:

• White Bean Hummus: My New Go-To Recipe
• Joanna Gaines’ Baklava: A Sweet Endeavor

Did you try this recipe, or perhaps one of my suggested alternatives? Let me know by leaving a review or comment below! Don’t forget to sign up for my newsletter to stay updated with more honest reviews and delicious recipes. You can also follow along on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook for daily inspiration!